


No Destination

by Virago77 (PriPri)



Series: Fight Or Flight [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Beta Scott, Blow Jobs, Bottom Derek Hale, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Come Marking, Consensual Underage Sex, First Time, Kid Fic, Knotting, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Mates, Mpreg, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Papa!Derek, Rimming, Sane Peter, Scent Marking, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stilinski Family Feels, Top Derek Hale, Top Stiles Stilinski, Topping from the Bottom, daddy!stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-08 18:14:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 47,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1951191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PriPri/pseuds/Virago77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first few hours of the drive to Oregon, Stiles was his typical self, .i.e., he asked question after question about where they were going, what the pack would be like and how he would be accepted.  Derek, needing something to focus on other than the painted lines on the highway, told him about his Aunt Laura.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Road is My Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I have been agonizing over this fic for at least a year. I started writing it while [This Is Gonna Hurt](http://archiveofourown.org/works/823626) was still being proofed and I've sent it to two separate beta's multiple times and I'm still not sure if it's good enough. But I've decided to stop being a baby and post it because it's been long enough.
> 
> Seventy-five percent of this story was written long before the season three, so at the time I did not know anything about Derek's family other than they burned in the house fire. So this story is not canon compliant. I toyed with changing it to be canon compliant, but I really, really love the back-story I wrote for Derek's family, so I decided to keep it as is--plus it would have been a butt-load of work to rewrite practically the whole story.
> 
> Big, huge love and hugs to [thewolfstamer](http://thewolfstamer.tumblr.com/) for being the first brave soul to volunteer to be my proofreader. She's become a friend and my fanfic sanity. She not only proofed this fic several times, but she gave great input which, I think, made the story better.
> 
> Big, big thanks to [no-sign-of-the-city-lights](http://no-sign-of-the-city-lights.tumblr.com/) for giving this a final read through, for fixing my grammatical errors, and for offering good, honest suggestions/advice.

 

* * *

 

The first few hours of the drive to Oregon, Stiles was his typical self, .i.e., he asked question after question about where they were going, what the pack would be like and how he would be accepted.  Derek, needing something to focus on other than the painted lines on the highway, told him about his Aunt Laura.

            “Wait, _Laura_?”

            “Yes, it’s kind of a family thing.  My mom left the pack she was born into to be with my dad, so she named her first born after a member of her former pack.  Aunt Laura and my mom were sisters,” Derek explained.

            Laura was the sibling who showed the propensity and desire to be the next alpha of the pack.  She was strong, fast, driven and actually wanted to be alpha.  Leila, Derek’s mother, had never truly desired to lead the pack.  Falling in love with the son of the alpha of a visiting pack, Alex Hale, made it fully apparent that she would never be an alpha.  The attraction was instantaneous for both Leila and Alex, but there were rules, a hierarchy and they were unable to interact with one another without proper supervision.  They spent what little time they could together while the Hale’s visited and then they corresponded for over a year before Alex came to Leila’s alpha (and mother) to ask her permission to take her daughter as his mate.  Leila and Alex were married within the year and the marriage served to strengthen the alliance between the Jones and Hale packs.

            When the alpha of the Jones pack died, the Hales drove to Oregon to mourn the loss of one alpha, and celebrate the elevation of another.  Derek remembered Laura following their aunt around, and though she was mourning the loss of her mother, Laura Jones still doted on her niece.  And it was always that way, whether the Hales were visiting Oregon or the Jones visited California.  Where Aunt Laura was, her namesake was usually only a few steps behind.

            Stiles chuckled at that, but it didn’t sound right to Derek.  He looked over at him, _really_ looked, and he knew something wasn’t right.  Stiles was looking between the windshield and the side window, eyes darting back and forth, but never really _seeing_ anything.  His right knee was bouncing and his fingers were toying with the door, gliding along the seams in the upholstery, hovering over the window and lock buttons.  Derek frowned when he scented sweat and anxiety in the air.  Stiles noticed Derek watching him and his heartbeat suddenly jumped up to an erratic rhythm, making Derek worry more.

            “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing,” he said, trying to brush it off.

            “ _Stiles_!”

            “Derek it’s nothing to worry about.”

            Derek was quiet for a few moments, working up the nerve to ask his next question, “Have you changed your mind? Do you want to go back?”

            “What?” Stiles exclaimed whipping his head around, completely caught off guard by the questions.  “Absolutely—Derek no! Of course I haven’t changed my mind.”

            “Then what is wrong with you?”

            With an exasperated sigh, Stiles confessed to having gone off his Adderall the week prior in preparation for their trip.  He didn’t think they would be able to get him a new prescription in Oregon and decided it was best to stop taking the medication as soon as possible.

            Derek called him an idiot, informed him that he was going through withdrawal and took the first exit advertising food.  If he had said something sooner, Derek would have called his aunt and worked out a way to get his prescription for him.   _And if I was a better mate, I would have thought of it myself_ , Derek berated himself.  If this was any indication of things to come, perhaps he _should_ take Stiles back to Beacon Hills.

            Derek was irritated with himself and as if he could read his mind (and at this point Derek was pretty sure he could) Stiles took Derek’s hand into his clammy one, calming the older man and himself both at once, “It’s not your fault.  I should have said something.  I didn’t think it would be this bad.”  Stiles’ instincts as Derek’s mate had kicked-in and allowed him to soothe the alpha.  “I’ve gone a few days without my meds before and it wasn’t this bad.”

            “A few days is one thing, you’ve been off of them for what? A week?”

            “Yeah.”

            “It’s actually a miracle your symptoms aren’t worse.”

            “I think the caffeine I’ve been mainlining helps.”

            Derek nodded, tucking that bit of information into the back of his mind for future use.  “Then let’s get you caffeinated and fed,” he said as he pulled into a truck stop.  Derek parked them in front of the diner and they exited the truck together.  “Why don’t you go splash some cold water on your face while I get us a booth?”

            “Okay, order me a Pepsi,” Stiles said before heading in the direction of the restroom.

 

            The waitress was a bleached-blonde woman in her early forties, who would have been more attractive if she didn’t have a ton of make-up caked on her face.  She gave Derek a hundred-watt smile when he asked for a booth and two menus.  “Follow me,” she said before grabbing the menus and leading him toward the back of the diner with an exaggerated sway to her hips, which Derek assumed was meant to entice him.  He rolled his eyes, followed her to the booth and sat down on the side facing the door.  “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

            Derek scanned the menu quickly, found what he was looking for and said, “I’m ready to order.”

            “All right,” she nodded and pulled out her pen and pad, “What’ll ya have?”

            “Two bacon cheeseburgers and two orders of curly fries.  Could you make my burger rare and the other medium well?”

            “I sure can,” she assured, cracking her gum, “And to drink?”

            “Two Pepsis, please.”

            “All right, Hon, I’ll be right back with your Pepsis,” she grinned as she took the menus and walked away, hips swinging as she went.

            Stiles slid into the seat across from him a few minutes later, looking, well not exactly better, but not worse either.  “I ordered you a bacon cheeseburger and curly fries.”

            “Aw, you _do_ love me, don’t you?” Stiles said with a teasing grin.

            It made Derek smile to see that Stiles was still making an effort to tease him even though he had to be feeling like hell.  The thought sent a wave of happiness and warmth throughout him. “I do,” he said softly, placing his hand over Stiles’ and squeezing gently before moving away, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to them.

            The waitress, Lynne, her nametag read, returned with their Pepsis and offered another brilliant smile to Derek before leaving to take care of another customer.  “Oh God, did I miss her hitting on you?” he asked happily before downing half his soda in one go.

            Derek scowled, “Not yet, but I feel it coming,” he grumbled.  This amused Stiles to no end, and since his mirth brought the color back to his cheeks, Derek let him have it.  He could still feel his leg bouncing, and his fingers were tapping a silent rhythm against the table, but Stiles looked a bit calmer to Derek.

            “So tell me more about your aunt and the pack.”

 

            The first days after the fire the siblings remained in Beacon Hills waiting on a prognosis for Peter, needing to bury what remained of their family, and to get their financial and legal affairs in order.  When their family had been interred in the Hale family crypt, after the paperwork had been signed and filed, and when the doctors determined that Peter would live, but remain comatose—probably for the remainder of his life, Derek and Laura went to Oregon. They left in secret, covering their tracks as they had been taught to do.  Laura was fearful that whoever had murdered their family would come back if they learned that the she and Derek had survived.  She had lost her family, her pack, and now she was Derek’s alpha.  Her main goal was to protect him; if she lost him she would lose herself as well.  She had told Derek as much when he questioned leaving Peter behind in Beacon Hills. 

            Once they arrived at the farm, Aunt Laura mourned with her niece and nephew.  She put them in the middle of a pack pile, wrapped herself around them and together they cried and howled until their throats were raw.  They stayed like that for a full day, and then they ran together, as a pack.  They hunted and took down prey together, and when the pack had exhausted themselves, they piled together and slept.  After that Laura began teaching her young charge how to handle her new power.

            Derek stayed apart, closed off.  He learned the things that were integral to his survival, and honed the skills he had already developed.  And while he was considered pack, trained and ran with them, Derek kept mostly to himself.  He was still reeling from the knowledge that he had been responsible for the fire that killed almost the entirety of his family.  He was the reason that Laura was his guardian and alpha at eighteen with only partial knowledge of how to handle the responsibility, the power.

            They never truly settled in Oregon the way their family would have wanted them to.  Being with their mother’s family was hard on the Hale siblings.  Laura and Leila Jones were twins and looking at her, seeing their mother’s eyes staring back at them…it was like being close to their mother, but not being able to reach her.  Laura had a handle on her powers and could control the full-bodied shift by the time Derek turned eighteen and had finished high school.  They left for New York where Laura convinced Derek to go to college with her.  They kept in touch and visited, but as much as Laura had idolized their aunt, it was too hard seeing her more than a few times a year.

 

            “I’m so sorry you had to endure that Derek.  I wish…”

            Derek gave him a small smile, “I know Stiles, I know. You would change the past for me if you could, but the scary thing is, I don’t know if I would want you to.”

            “What do you mean?”  Stiles was very confused by Derek’s statement.

            “I lost my family, and it hurts every day; it hurts like I can’t ever explain.  But I waded through all of the guilt, self-loathing and misery and when I got to the other side of it, there was you.  I don’t know if our paths would have ever crossed if I hadn’t lost my family.  There would have been no reason for us to ever even meet; I would have gone to college before you even got to high school.”

            Stiles understood where Derek’s logic had taken him and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.  At this moment in time he loved Derek more than anything—he had left behind his only family to be with him.  He would die for Derek and knew Derek would do the same for him.  Being away from his father was only temporary; would Stiles be willing to give him up for good?  Just the notion that Derek had _considered_ it made Stiles feel awed and giddy and unworthy all at once.

            Stiles decided it was definitely time to change the subject and right on cue, Lynne returned to see if they were interested in dessert.  He was getting such a kick out of Derek’s discomfort at Lynne’s attentions.  “We’d love some dessert, Lynne.  What do you recommend?”

            It was all Stiles could do to hold in his laughter as Lynne proceeded to direct all of her recommendations to Derek.  They both settled on the cherry pie and when she left the table, “You are not funny Stiles,” he said groused.

            “Dude I am _hilarious_ ,” he chuckled.

            When Lynne returned with their pie, Derek’s had a scoop of whipped cream on top.  She winked at him before sashaying away.  Stiles narrowed his eyes at the offending topping.  Her being attracted to Derek was fine, but making overtures?  Stiles wouldn’t have it.  He opened his mouth to comment, but was stopped by a forkful of cream covered pie.  His eyes darted to Derek’s and if he had to guess he would say that the man was amused by his jealousy.  Derek was in fact preening as he licked the remaining cream from his fork.  Stiles watched his tongue dart out to chase a drip of cream from his bottom lip; his eyes went dark and he began radiating arousal.  Derek couldn’t stop the low rumble that escaped his throat at the scent of his mate longing for him.  “Soon,” he murmured knowing what Stiles craved and wanting the same thing.  Derek wished he could drag Stiles into the bathroom and rut against him until they were both coming in their pants.  Instead he tamped down his desire and scooped half of the whipped cream from his pie and dumped it onto Stiles’.  Stiles nodded his thanks, frustrated, but happy to dig into his dessert.  Lynne was all but forgotten.

            Halfway through their dessert a special bulletin flashed across the TV screen interrupting the previous program.  Derek felt his stomach tie itself in knots when the words “Missing Teen” appeared in bold black letters.  The news anchor stated that police were searching for a runaway teen and Stiles’ head jerked up, eyes riveted to the television.  A California teen had gone missing and was thought to have runaway with their older boyfriend.  Derek reached across the table and covered Stiles’ hand with his own.  He knew a panic attack was eminent and the only way they would make it out of the diner unnoticed was if they didn’t panic.  When the pictures of a 15-year-old and _her_ 20-year-old boyfriend materialized on the screen, Derek felt his entire body sag in relief.  Stiles’ free hand covered his and Derek looked over to see elation on his love’s face.

            Derek offered him a weak smile, “We should get back on the road.”

            “Okay.  I’m gonna use the restroom and make sure I didn’t actually shit myself.”

            Derek laughed, “I’ll pay the check and meet you at the truck.”

 

            By some stroke of luck Lynne was nowhere to be seen and he was able to pay the check, leave a tip and get the hell out of the building without another overly friendly smile or inappropriate proposition.  Unfortunately for him, when he got to the truck, there was a police cruiser blocking it in.  Derek felt panic rise up anew and was unsure of how to proceed.  He would fight to keep Stiles with him but that meant hurting an innocent person who was only trying to do their job.

            “Is this your truck sir?”

            The voice came from behind him and Derek literally jumped, just barely keeping control of his wolf.  He had been so caught up in his internal panic attack that he hadn’t heard the officer’s approach.  Only it wasn’t just any police officer, this was a state trooper.  If anyone was looking for Derek and Stiles it would be him.  He had to will himself not to shift, “Uh, yes.”

            “Oh good; I was afraid I’d have to canvas every store in this place to find you.  Your vehicle was involved in a minor fender bender.”

            Apparently the frazzled mother of three toddlers, who was driving to San Francisco to visit family, had backed into his truck.  The trooper had been driving by, saw the accident take place, and did his job.  The woman had seriously dented the back of her minivan while barely scratching the bumper of his truck and they were leaving it up to Derek to decide to whether settle it amongst themselves or to involve their insurance companies.  If it wouldn’t have drawn attention, he would have done a dozen backflips through the parking lot to show how elated it was that he and Stiles hadn’t been caught.

            Derek insisted that they each pay for their own damage considering he had none and she would have to pay for her own either way.  She was very thankful and apologized profusely before Derek waved her off and wished her a safe trip.  Then he spent the next five minutes hoping that Stiles continued to wait in the shadows of the diner while the chatty police officer praised him for being such a good sport.  “So many other people would have made a big deal out of that tiny scratch and would have tried to milk the woman’s insurance for as much as they could,” he went on and on.  Derek had to bite the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood to keep himself from insisting to the officer that he had to get back on the road.  He wanted to be sure that the man was well away from the area before he left with Stiles.  By himself he wouldn’t be memorable, but with Stiles?  They’d be in trouble if a bulletin describing them went across the radio.

            Finally, after one last praise for being a decent human being and a firm handshake, the trooper went to have his lunch before he had to get back to the highway.  Derek got into the truck and laid his forehead against the steering wheel and thanked every deity that was looking out for them.  A few moments later Stiles was slipping into the passenger seat and slouching down to hide himself.  “Did anyone—”

            “I went out of the opposite entrance, he never even saw me.  Now get us out of here and you can tell me what that was all about when we’re far from here.”

***

            After a week of barely sleeping and two back-to-back adrenaline rushes, Derek was wasted.  Stiles noticed and offered to take over driving for a bit.  Derek was hesitant, but Stiles assured him that the four Pepsis he had with lunch had done the trick.  Plus he had an easier time concentrating when he was behind the wheel.  So, after a bit of deliberation and a blink that lasted much too long to actually be considered a blink, Derek pulled off to the shoulder where they traded places.  “Just an hour or two and then I want you to wake me,” Derek insisted.

            “Sure thing Sleepy-wolf,” Stiles grinned from the driver’s seat.

            Five hours later Derek was startled awake from the sound of the door closing.  Stiles quickly apologized for waking him and then offered him a bottle of water from the bag he was holding.  Derek scowled at him when he saw the time and realized how long Stiles had let him sleep.  “I won’t apologize for that because clearly you needed it.”

            Derek found he couldn’t argue with Stiles and he didn’t want to.  He accepted the water, drained the bottle and waited for all of his senses to reboot after basically being in a coma for the last five hours.  They elected to stretch their legs and eat again before getting back on the road.  They were only a few hours from the farm and since Derek was now well rested, he could make the remaining drive without having to stop at a motel.  They wanted to keep to their plan of leaving as few traces of themselves as possible; paying with cash only and avoiding any cameras they noticed.  He called his aunt from the prepaid cell phone he bought before leaving Beacon Hills and let her know that they were only a few hours away.  His aunt promised that the pack would be up and waiting no matter what time they arrived.

            “Are you sure they’re gonna be okay with…”

            “Stiles I told you, pack law and human law are vastly different.  As long as you’re here with me willingly, they will help me protect you no matter what.”

            Stiles sighed in relief and nodded his head, “Okay.”

            Derek squeezed his hand briefly.  “My aunt is gonna love you,” Derek assured him before they got back on the road.

***

Stiles woke to Derek’s fingers caressing his face and the sound of his voice softly calling to him to wake up.  He woke quickly, shifting in his seat and looking around, “Are we here?” he asked and Derek could hear the nervousness in his voice.

            “Almost,” Derek replied, “We just made the turn-off to the property.  It’s about a 10-minute drive to the house.”

            “Ten minutes?”

            “The pack’s land is kind of in the middle of nowhere.  They built the house far from the main road as a precaution.”

            “Understandable.”

            “Stiles, you don’t have to be nervous.  You’re family now.”

            Stiles nodded, he believed Derek, but the knowledge that he would be welcomed as Derek’s mate didn’t ease his nerves.  Maybe they had to accept him as Derek’s mate, but that didn’t mean they had to like him.  He wanted so badly for Derek’s family to like him.

 

            When they pulled up to the house, there was a group of people standing outside, awaiting their arrival. It made Derek’s heart swell with happiness and melancholy to see his family. They weren’t Hales; he was the last of that line, but the Joneses were still his blood. “You ready to meet our new pack?”

            “If I say no, what then?”

            Derek smiled over at him. He took Stiles’ hand in his and pressed his lips to the heel of his palm. “You know how much I love you?”

            Some of the nervousness left Stiles’ eyes and was replaced with affection. “Of course I do Derek. And you?”

            “You’re here with me; it couldn’t be any clearer.”

            “It’s gonna be okay,” Stiles finally accepted.

            “It’s gonna be okay,” Derek assured.  “C’mon; it’s never good to keep an alpha waiting,” he said and offered Stiles a brief kiss before reaching for his door handle.

            When they were both out of the car, they met at the front.  Derek took Stiles by the hand and approached his family.  A few feet from a very intimidating dark-haired woman, Derek paused, and pushed Stiles partly behind him before releasing his hand.  He slowly moved within touching distance and offered his neck in respect and submission.

            With a smile the woman pressed her nose to Derek’s proffered neck, scenting him.  Then her arms came up to wrap him in a tight embrace.  Stiles heard her speak softly to Derek, “It’s good to have you back.”

            “It’s good to be back Aunt Laura, although—”

            “Let’s not talk about it just yet.  Tell me who this is that you’ve brought with you,” she said turning her attention to Stiles.

            Derek pulled away and moved to Stiles, taking up his hand again and bringing him forward to present him to his Aunt.  “This is Stiles...my mate.”

            Stiles, having researched everything imaginable on werewolves, knew that his actions now would either solidify or impede his acceptance into the pack.  Stiles offered his neck to the alpha and after only a moment’s pause earned a smile from her.  She pressed her nose to his neck, scenting him like she had Derek and then wrapped her arms around him in a firm but gentle hug.  “Welcome to the pack Stiles.”

            Stiles hugged back, relief washing over him.  “Thanks for having me,” he responded.

            “You’re Derek’s mate; that makes you family.  Come meet everyone,” she said, draped her arm over his shoulder and steered him toward the waiting pack.

 

            The introductions went by in a blur and Stiles wasn’t sure he was clear on who was who.  Uncle Oliver was Laura’s mate and a fellow human.  Leila was the oldest; Carla was the youngest and also human.  There was a Kyle and a Marco who were possibly cousins and Rita who was (maybe) Uncle Ollie’s sister, but she was a wolf.  The pack was larger; however, this was the immediate family and pack members who lived on the farm.  The alpha in Derek had made some of the pack bristle and the only reason they didn’t attack was because Derek was family and his scent was familiar.  To counter the uneasiness the pack was feeling Aunt Laura put the introductions on hold and inserted Derek and Stiles into the middle of a pack pile.  It was to help reassert the pack’s scent on Derek and to make Stiles smell like pack and therefore making introduction to other pack members easier.

            In the middle of his first pack pile in over a year, Derek finally truly mourned his sister.

 

            The next morning, Stiles was reintroduced to the pack at breakfast.  Everyone who lived in the house was a family relation of some sort.  Laura and Oliver had three biological children.  Leila was their first born, but it was Kyle, the middle child who was the alpha heir.  Carla the youngest had been born human and was as of yet undecided on whether or not she would take the bite.  Kelley was Kyle’s mate, also human, and pregnant with their first child.  Rita, Oliver’s younger sister, came with him to the Jones pack when he and Laura mated.  And Marco was the only surviving member of his former pack, which was from Texas and had an alliance with the Joneses.  Two years prior his pack was attacked by rogue hunters, and was ultimately wiped out.  When the fighting started he was pushed to safety by his alpha and his instincts led him to Laura.  Laura and Oliver legally adopted him so technically he was their fourth and youngest child.  Marco and Stiles became fast friends as they were the same age and had a lot in common.

            Stiles and Derek were taken on a tour of the farm, which housed mostly sheep and chickens. They were introduced to various pack members who worked on the farm.  Stiles was surprised when they were shown the school house where the children of the pack were educated.  Public school was an option, but most parents felt safer with their children in a school where the teacher could handle a wolf that had lost control.  The human children of the pack attended the pack school as well.  They were given a traditional education as well as taught werewolf lore and politics.  Laura assured Stiles that he would finish high school with the pack.  Oliver, who was basically a genius and quite the hacker, had already begun working on obtaining Stiles’ school records without anyone tracing it back to them.

            After lunch they were taken to a cabin, situated approximately 200 yards from the main house.  It was mainly used to house visiting packs; however it would now be Derek and Stiles’ home.  Laura wasn’t barring Derek from the main house; she was offering him and Stiles the privacy they wouldn’t have in a house full of werewolves.  The cabin wasn’t far enough away that they wouldn’t be heard at all, but it would be easier for the pack to tune them out when necessary.  A newly mated couple needed as much privacy as they could get.  Kyle and Kelley had lived in the cabin for the first six months of their mating.  “We haven’t… _officially_ mated yet,” Derek announced sheepishly.

            “Oh, I know,” she smiled shaking her head at her nephew; _of course_ she knew.  “We’ll plan a celebration for this weekend.”

            It only took Derek a moment to realize, “We’ll mate on the full moon.”

            “What’s that mean?” Stiles queried.

            “Nothing specific,” Derek shrugged, “It’s just…good luck.”

            “Not _just_ good luck.  The power of the full moon makes everything a werewolf feels more intense, more powerful.  You’ve explained werewolf mating to him I assume?” she asked Derek.

            “Of course.”

            “So you understand that the magic of mating with a werewolf, especially an alpha, cannot be undone except by death?”

            “I understand,” Stiles nodded.

            “And you’re still willing to become Derek’s mate?  You’re young and handsome and could have many lovers before deciding to settle down.”

            “Derek’s the only one for me,” Stiles said, his tone respectful, but firm.

            “I don’t disbelieve you; I just want you to be sure.  You’ll spend the rest of your life married to the same man.”

            “Isn’t that the whole point of marriage?  The fact that this marriage will give us a supernatural bond doesn’t change anything for me.  If I didn’t want to be with Derek forever I wouldn’t have left my only family behind to be with him.”

            Laura smiled apparently pleased with his answer.  “You’ve picked a fine mate Derek.  You had best treat him well or you’ll have to answer to me.”

            And just like that any lingering fears Stiles had about being accepted by the pack were gone.

 

            The couple spent the next several days getting settled into their new home and acquainting themselves with the pack.  There were several teenagers Stiles’ age or close to it and a few toddlers.  The majority of the pack was made up of adult betas.  Everyone was welcoming and they all treated Derek with the respect and deference he deserved as an alpha; however, there was no question as to where their loyalty lay.  They were Jones pack and only truly deferred to the Jones Alpha.  Stiles was accorded a certain amount of respect as the future mate of an alpha and once the tales of their adventures in Beacon Hills were shared, everyone looked at Stiles a little differently, with awe.

            Derek and Stiles had yet to consummate their relationship, deciding that since they had waited this long, they could wait until their actual mating ceremony.  Adjusting to their new life on the farm tired them out to the point that they merely climbed in bed each night and cuddled one another until sleep came, which was always very quickly.

            The morning of their mating, Stiles and Derek lingered in bed a little longer than usual.

            “You’re on edge,” Derek remarked, “You don’t have to go through with it.”

            “I think this is normal pre-wedding jitters.  I have no intention of changing my mind Derek, it’s just…”

            “Just what?”

            “There isn’t much information to be found on werewolf mating ceremonies.  I understand what the mating basically entails, but no one has a record of a ceremony.”

            “That’s because it’s specific to the individual pack.  The actual mating is what it is, but each pack has specific rituals and celebrations.  Werewolves tend keep these traditions private, within their pack.”

            “So what will happen today?”

            “Honestly, it’ll be an all day party.”

            The Hale and Jones packs were similar in their traditions where they prepared a day-long celebration.  They had slaughtered lamb and chickens, prepared the fire pits behind the house and set-up the picnic area.  The pack would all participate in games, eat, and just enjoying one another throughout the day.  In the evening the younger werewolves who could not yet control their shift would be separated from the rest of the pack and watched by the designated babysitter for this particular full moon.  The remaining pack would participate in a pack run.

            “Pack run?”

            “We’ll all shift and run together under the full moon.”

            This is where the “ceremony” portion would begin (though there wasn’t actually much ceremony.)  Derek’s wolf would want to hunt for his chosen mate, to show that it could provide for him.  Derek would return with fresh kill to present to Stiles—as would many other wolves for their mates.  Stiles would need to accept the offering to placate Derek’s wolf.  Once the wolf was happy, Derek would shift to his human form and he would take Stiles away from the group to complete the mating bond.  Derek would mount Stiles, and when he brought them to completion, Derek’s knot would swell, tying them together and he would give Stiles a mating bite.  The bite was only meant to seal the bond between them and mark Stiles as his mate; it wouldn’t hurt or turn him.

            The thought of being knotted, bitten and marked by Derek sent a shiver through Stiles.  He almost wished they could skip the party and get right to the mating, but Stiles knew how important the ritual of it all was to Derek and the pack.  Derek assured him it was important to Stiles as well as this was essentially their wedding celebration.  This made Stiles giddy with excitement.

***

            Their mating day was filled with more happiness and excitement than either Derek or Stiles could remember having in a very long while.  They pushed the longing for their various missing family members to the background and embraced their new family.  Derek participated in the games set up for the wolves and Stiles did the same with the human games.  Together they participated in the group scavenger hunt, which was created to benefit the humans more than the wolves.  Each hidden item had its scent masked, making it that much harder for the wolves to track it down.  Because they were so adept at working together to solve problems, it was fairly easy for Derek and Stiles to win the game.

            There was more food than even Stiles could enjoy throughout the day; someone had even thought to supply curly fries for Stiles as they were his favorite.  Since it was a strictly pack event, no one stopped the older teens from having a small amount of alcohol.  It didn’t have much effect on the young wolves in small quantities, and it was only fair that if some were permitted then they all should be permitted.  Derek kept a close eye on Stiles around the alcohol; he didn’t want his mate to be too drunk to enjoy their evening.

            After the games were finished and their hunger was sated and the moon rose higher in the night sky, the wolves prepared for their run.  As alphas, Derek and Laura were preparing for a full shift.  There were no real boundaries within werewolf packs, meaning nudity wasn’t something they were bothered by.  It was normal for everyone when both alphas begin stripping off their clothes within full sight of the pack.  Derek handed each item of clothing to Stiles with a wicked grin, a promise of what was to come.  Stiles bit his bottom lip and willed his body to behave when Derek pulled off his tight, black boxer briefs and handed them to him.  There was very little time to enjoy the view as Derek and Laura immediately began shifting into their wolf forms.

            Stiles had seen Derek’s full wolf form only once and it had terrified him.  Derek had feared that it would be some twisted, horrible form like Peter’s had been, which was why he had resisted making the full shift when he gained the alpha powers.  During the last battle with the alpha pack, the female alpha had herded Stiles away from the middle of the battle, and was poised to kill him.  Derek, at the imminent threat to his mate, lost control.  He howled and the shift took over, transforming him into the biggest black wolf Stiles had ever seen.  So big that even the battle hardened alpha had been startled by the sight of him.  It was distraction enough for Derek to pounce on her.  There wasn’t much of a fight and within minutes of attacking, wolf-Derek was spitting out the flesh of her throat, his muzzle snarling and bloody.  It was Stiles’ fear at the sight of him that forced Derek back into his human form.  Since that night Derek had practiced the shift, so that he could control it rather than it control him, but never did it where Stiles could see.

            This night as the wolf took over and his senses sought out his mate, Derek felt awe pouring from his love rather than fear.  The wolf preened.  He approached Stiles slowly making sure he knew there was no threat.  Stiles dropped Derek’s clothes on the now empty picnic table and closed the remaining distance between them.  Derek, wanting to reassure his mate that he was safe with him, rubbed himself along Stiles’ side, the sheer girth of him nearly pushing the young man over.  The wolf was pleased to hear laughter coming from his mate and then felt gentle hands combing through the fur of his back and flank.  Derek nuzzled his nose along Stiles’ belly and then looked up into laughing honey-brown eyes.  “You’re beautiful, Sourwolf,” Stiles whispered.  Derek chuffed and pushed back against the hand that was now scrubbing over his head, behind his ears.  Reluctantly he moved away from Stiles and joined his aunt at the head of the pack.

            The human members of the pack watched as the wolves disappeared into the night.  “So we just wait for them to come back?” Stiles asked.

            “Yep, that’s about it,” Ollie nodded.

            “You should exchange your shirt for Derek’s,” Kelley suggested.  When Derek returned Stiles would smell more like him than normal and it would drive the wolf crazy—in a good way, Kelley assured.  Stiles did as instructed and then settled in and waited for the wolves to return.

            A while later, after a few games of rummy and a few more drinks, the wolves returned.  Laura led the pack carrying a doe in her large muzzle which she presented to Oliver.  And thus the gifting began.  As the wolves returned, the ones with mates, or potential mates, offered them gifts of rabbits and raccoons, there was even a deer or two.  And then Derek came dragging a young buck with huge antlers and dropped it at Stiles’ feet.

            “Holy shit that’s for me?!” Stiles exclaimed.  Derek yipped at him.  “Best mate _ever_ ,” he murmured before, “Thank you, I accept your gift.”

 

                    After Stiles accepted his offering Derek howled with satisfaction before shifting back to his human form.  He was naked and dirty and Stiles didn’t care as Derek folded him into his embrace.  Derek dragged his nose along Stiles’ collar bone breathing him in deeply.  It excited Stiles to hear the pleased rumbling growl that came from Derek.  Apparently Kelley had been right about the shirt because within moments of being scented, Stiles found himself thrown over Derek’s shoulder and headed in the direction of their cabin in a fast lope.  Understanding that the wolf was more in control than usual, Stiles wouldn't let it be a blow to his manhood.  Experiencing the more primal side of Derek sent a wild thrill through him.

                    Stiles found himself on his back on the bed, surprised at how fast they had gotten there.  Derek was on him a moment later, nose at his neck and practically purring at what he found there, “You smell like mine,” his voice was low and guttural.

            “Yours,” Stiles murmured.

                    Derek licked a stripe from his collarbone to his cheek. “Gonna mount you.”  Stiles whimpered as Derek bit gently at the join of his neck and shoulder.  “Gonna knot you; breed you full.  Mark you,” he growled before sucking a deep crimson mark into Stiles’ neck where all the pack would see.

                    “Oh my God,” Stiles groaned.  If this was what was in store for him, he wasn’t sure he’d survive werewolf foreplay let alone mating.

                    After leaving several love bites on Stiles’ skin, Derek began stripping off his clothes.  He started with the borrowed shirt and as more of his pale, freckled skin was revealed, Derek felt the need to mark it up as well.  He started with Stiles’ erect nipples, licking and sucking them in turn; pulling them between his teeth and tugging gently.  Stiles moaned and his fingers moved to card themselves through Derek’s dark hair.  He left a love bite under one nipple then continued licking and sucking his way across Stiles’ chest and stomach.

                    He watched through half-lidded eyes as Derek’s tongue dipped into his bellybutton.  Green-gold eyes ringed with crimson flashed up capturing Stiles’ gaze as Derek licked the trail of dark hair that disappeared into the waistband of his pants.  “Fuck!” Stiles choked out and felt the vibration from Derek’s chest as he rumbled happily at Stiles’ pleasure.  Derek made quick work of getting Stiles out of his pants.  His mate had gone commando and seeing him laid out naked for him made Derek growl.  And that was the start of a new kink for Stiles.  Derek growling at the sight of his naked body shouldn’t turn him on as much as it did.

                    Derek pressed open-mouthed kisses along Stiles’ legs, tasting and scenting as he worked his way up his mate’s legs.  He began nipping again when he moved tothe crease between his thigh and hip.  Derek bit him gently and then sucked a mark into the soft skin there.  “Fuck, Derek, please!” Stiles entreated, “I’m gonna die if you don’t touch me.”

            Derek chucked before pulling away and rising up on his knees.  “What the—that is not touching me,” Stiles complained.

            To quiet him, Derek wrapped a fist around his cock and began stroking it gently.  “Better?”  Stiles groaned and his hips jerked up in response.  Derek then reached over to the nightstand and retrieved the bottle of lubricant from the drawer.

            Much to Stiles’ dismay, Derek released his leaking cock and returned to his previous position between his legs.  But before Stiles could protest, Derek situated his legs over his shoulders.  He pressed kisses to his shaft, his balls, his perineum.

            Stiles cried out when Derek’s tongue swiped over his hole.  Derek hummed, savoring the intoxicating flavor that was purely Stiles, purely _mate_.  Stiles moaned at the vibrations and arched into Derek’s gentle touch.  Derek licked around Stiles’ puckered entrance, then pushed the tip of his tongue inside.  Above him, his mate mumbled nonsense and tugged on Derek’s hair.  Derek licked at his hole, plunged inside, wetting him, opening him.  He uncapped the lube, coated his fingers and pushed his index finger in to the first knuckle.

            “More, please more,” Stiles begged.  Derek obliged him, pressing deeper.  “Fuck yes!”

            Painstakingly slowly, Derek worked his way to burying three fingers and his tongue inside of Stiles’ tight opening.  When he was a sobbing, incoherent mess; Derek sucked Stiles’ cock into his mouth.  He bobbed up and down sucking sloppily then backed off to twirl his tongue around the swollen head, licking up the river of precome leaking from the slit.  He slid his mouth down until his nose was pressed into the patch of wiry brown hair.  He backed off again and began sucking Stiles for all his worth.  He crooked his fingers and pressed against the bundle of nerves that had Stiles arching off the bed and pushing his cock deeper into Derek’s throat, gagging him.

            Derek groaned at the feel of choking on his mate’s cock.  He turned it into a game; sucking on the head while thrusting his fingers in and out of his clenching hole and then sliding his mouth down until Stiles was deep in his throat.  When he felt the tip hit the back of his throat, his fingers pushed against his prostate making Stiles jolt and tremble.

            He did this over and over again until Stiles had sweat and tears streaming down his face; every nerve ending in his body was hypersensitive, “Derek please,” he sobbed, “Please, I need to come.  Make me come,” he begged.

            So Derek did.  He increased his suction and pressed fingers against his prostate until Stiles was shouting, “Derek!” and coming down is throat.  Derek drank every drop of his come and sucked him gently through the aftershocks.

            Stiles was boneless and panting and completely wrecked when Derek pulled off of him.  He sat back on his heels and just took in the sight of him, all flushed and glistening.  He reached for the lube again and used it slick his cock.  He leaned over Stiles and pressed tender kisses to his chin, the edge of his jaw, his lips, “Gonna turn you over now; gonna mount you.”

            “No,” he whispered, shaking his head.

            Derek stopped short, taken off guard by that.  If Stiles had changed his mind—

            “Like this,” he murmured, “I want it like this.  Wanna see you.”

            Derek smiled.  He pushed his lover’s legs apart and settled between them.  Stiles was open and pliant, so slipping the tip of his cock inside was easy.  At the initial push, Stiles’ hole sucked him right in, but when he pushed deeper, Stiles gave a grunt of discomfort at the intrusion.  Derek could smell the spike of pain coming off him and paused to give his body a chance to adjust.  Stiles was tight and pulsing around him and it took everything in Derek not to move.  It took everything not to come.

            When he felt Stiles relax beneath him Derek began the slow, torturous process of inching his way inside, thinking about mundane things to keep from losing it before they even got started.  It was a few minutes after he bottomed out when Stiles urged his hips forward and told Derek that it was okay to move.  He pulled out to the tip then slowly pushed his way back inside.  Stiles’ fingers tighten on Derek’s forearms and Derek stopped.  “N-no don’t stop, so good.”

            The sound in Stiles’ voice was utter bliss.  Derek lost it.  He shoved in hard, slamming their hips together.  “Yes!” Stiles yelled as he wrapped his legs around Derek’s waist and rose up to meet each of his thrusts.

            In the back of his mind Derek knew Stiles’ first time should be slow and gentle, but he couldn’t make himself stop.  Stiles felt so good wrapped around him, groaning his name, thrusting back against him.  His higher brain functions left him and all he knew was _mate_ , _Stiles_ , _mount_ , _bite_.  So Derek drove into him fast and hard and deep.  “Fuck Stiles!” he called in a guttural growl as he felt his orgasm building.

            Stiles’ cock had swelled to new life and was getting the most delicious friction trapped between their bellies, “Mm, Derek I’m ready.  I want it,” he slurred.

            Derek felt his canines lengthen and the wolf rising closer to the surface, “Mate,” he rumbled.

            “Mate!” Stiles repeated as Derek plunged deep.

            Derek shoved in again, pushing Stiles up the mattress, “Mine!”

            Stiles whined, “Make me yours!”

            The wolf inside Derek wanted to howl at that, “Mine,” he murmured as he licked over the join of his shoulder and neck, “Forever.”  And then he was sinking his teeth into the supple flesh, biting him, marking him as his mate.

            When Derek’s teeth pierced Stiles, time seemed to stop.  They felt everything at once, pain, pleasure, the heightening of the bond between them.  “Oh God, Derek!” Stiles cried as he came in thick spurts between them.

            Derek grasped his hips and forced himself deep before holding him steady as his knot began to swell.  He detached his teeth from Stiles shoulder and licked at the puncture marks forcing them to close and heal over superficially.  Stiles was so blissed out that he felt only pleasure as the knot grew, stretching him wide.  When it stopped expanding Derek pushed against him trying in vain to get deeper inside of Stiles.  The knot brushed against Stiles’ prostate making him moan and clench around Derek’s cock.  “ _Stiles_!” he whined and then he was shooting jet after jet of his thick release into Stiles.  Derek rutted against him, groaning at the sensation of filling his mate to bursting.  He did howl then.

            It was several long minutes before Derek was empty.  All the while he had been trailing hot kisses along Stiles’ jaw, his neck, and collarbone.  “Are you all right?” Derek rasped his throat raw, voice wrecked.

            “Oh my God I am so much better than all right!”

            Derek chuckled, nosing at the mark he had left.  Stiles hissed at the contact.  “The bleeding stopped, but it’ll be tender for a day or two.”

            “I’m okay.  I like the feel of it, the hurt.”

            The statement made Derek’s cock jerk, “God damn it Stiles, don’t say things like that when I can’t go again,” he grumbled.  “It’ll be awhile before my knot goes down; I’m gonna roll us over so that I’m not crushing you.”

            It took some careful maneuvering, but Derek rolled them over so that Stiles was laid out on top of him.  Stiles pressed soft, wet kisses to Derek’s chest, “I can’t believe it finally happened,” he sighed.

            “What, losing your virginity or us mating?”

            “Both.”

            “Are you happy?”

            Stiles rested his chin against Derek’s chest and stared up into his ever changing eyes, “I’ve never been happier.”

            Derek petted Stiles’ hair, “Me too. Sleep.”

***

            Hours later Stiles woke to soft kisses along the back of his neck and Derek’s hand was stroking his cock to fullness, “Okay?” he whispered, seeking permission.

            “Yes, please yes.”

            Stiles was already wet and open so Derek slid inside of him with little resistance.  He took his time, pushing into him with slow, long strokes and drawing out their pleasure, making Stiles pant and beg for more.  He left a trail of kisses along his neck and spine; he licked at the bite on Stiles’ shoulder, making him whimper.  Derek stroked Stiles’ cock in time with his thrusts.  He placed blunt human teeth over the bite wound and clamped down gently.  Stiles came in milky ropes over his belly and Derek’s hand.  Stiles spasmed around Derek’s cock pulling him into his own powerful orgasm.

***

            Once Sheriff Stilinski realized that Stiles was gone the first place he searched was Derek Hale’s apartment.  What he found at the loft was Isaac Lahey, who was asked to come to the police station for questioning when he was not forthcoming with information regarding Derek’s or Stiles’ whereabouts.  He was probed at length by the deputies of the Sheriff’s Department and briefly by the Sheriff himself, who beseeched Isaac to tell him anything he could about where his son had gone.  Isaac never broke; his loyalty to Derek and Stiles was stronger than how disconcerting it was listening to Sheriff Stilinski’s pleading.

 

            As soon as Scott learned about Stiles’ and Derek’s disappearance he went to Derek’s loft to confront Isaac, certain that the beta knew where his alpha was.  Upon entering the space, Scott could sense the sadness oozing from Isaac and was immediately concerned with his friend’s wellbeing rather than interrogating him.  But when Isaac explained how bad it felt to be without his alpha, Scott bristled at the sentiment.  He tried not to take offense; Isaac could appreciate that Scott harbored ill feelings toward Derek.  Isaac genuinely liked Scott and hoped their friendship would continue to grow, but the boy needed to understand that his allegiance would always be with Derek.  His alpha had rescued him from an abusive father, given him the ability to fight back; more importantly, he had given him a new family.

            Predictably, Scott didn’t see it that way.  The bite, to him, was a curse that had all but ruined his life.  In his eyes, Derek had given Isaac more problems than he had solved.  Sure he was away from his father, but now he was an orphan; a monster who could be hunted and killed at any time.  Derek had stolen his innocence.

            “My father destroyed my innocence long before Derek came along,” Isaac informed.  “No matter what _you_ think of him, Derek’s a good person.  He saved me—he tried to save Erica and Boyd and they betrayed him for his trouble.  He’s my alpha and my loyalty will always be with him.”

            “Your shitty alpha ruined my life and now he’s ruining Stiles’ life by kidnapping him and taking him God knows where!”

            Isaac shook his head at the stroppy boy, “Are you really so self-absorbed that you don’t even know your best friend anymore?”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “I’m talking about the fact that Derek didn’t need to kidnap him because Stiles asked to go with him.  He’s Derek’s mate and it’s because he wants to be, not because Derek forced him.”

            Scott’s frown deepened; he didn’t like the idea of Isaac talking about Stiles as if he knew him.  Stiles was _his_ friend and Derek had stolen him, “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Scott insisted.

            Isaac rolled his eyes, “Of course, you’re right Scott,” the taller boy conceded; he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away to stare out the window.  “I can’t believe I actually stayed here to try and rebuild my life with the hope that we could have the kind of friendship you and Stiles had,” he muttered to himself.

            “What?”

            “I mean, sure, Beacon Hills is where I grew up; it’s where my entire family is buried, but without Derek… I shouldn’t have stayed,” Isaac groaned, and pulled his hands out of his pockets to drag them through his hair.

            “You know where they are,” Scott said.

            Isaac startled out of his reverie, and spun to face Scott, surprised by the accusation in his voice, “No, I—”

            Scott stopped him before he could finish the lie, “You do!  You know where they are,” he exclaimed, “Tell me!”

            “Scott even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.”

            “Why?”

            “I would never betray my alpha.  Maybe you didn’t want the bite, and maybe you don’t want an alpha, but I did; I do!  I take it seriously.  You don’t betray your pack and Derek and Stiles are my pack.”

            “Stiles is _my_ pack and Derek stole him from me!” Scott growled.

            “Do you hear yourself?”

            “Isaac, tell me where they are.”

            “Or what?”  Isaac didn’t miss the unspoken threat in Scott’s demand.

            “Or I’ll make you,” Scott’s eyes turned yellow and his fangs and claws extended.

            Isaac had never been so happy to see Peter Hale in his life.

 

            Peter had a lot to atone for and one of his goals was to care for Isaac until Derek returned.  After he learned that Isaac had been pulled into the police station for questioning, he came to the loft to see how the boy had held up under interrogation.  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you Scott,” Peter threatened as calmly as if he was doing nothing more than stating the weather.  He slowly and cautiously made his way to Isaac’s side, halfway circling Scott.

            “What are _you_ doing here?”

            “Well unlike you Scott, I’m Hale pack, which means I have every right to be here.  Something you don’t seem to understand about pack is that they protect each other and their territory.”  With Derek gone, it fell to Peter to look after the pack and their territory.  Scott was no longer Hale pack and therefore not welcome on Hale land, or in this case, Derek’s apartment.  Peter made it clear that he was lucky to be allowed to remain in Beacon Hills after he had betrayed the pack.  It didn’t matter that Scott denied the wolf in him; he was still a werewolf, always would be, and if he ever moved into new territory he wouldn’t get the same kindness from another pack.  The sooner he realized this, the better he would be in the long run.  Defeated, Scott left.

            “Peter I… Thank you,” Isaac said sincerely.

            “You don’t have to thank me.  I meant what I said, pack protects pack.  When I promised Derek that I’d look out for you and protect Beacon Hills, I did it with honesty.  I killed my niece and so many other innocent people, so I kind of have a lot to atone for.”

            “And does Scott factor into your atonement?”

            “If I can convince him of my regret for what I’ve done in the past, I will do everything I can to mend fences and help him embrace his new nature.  He doesn’t like to admit it, but he has a bond with me; I was his alpha after all.”

            “Do you think he’ll ever come around?”

            “Honestly, I don’t know.”

 

            After he saved him from Scott, Isaac was a bit more at ease around Peter.  He didn’t completely trust him, but he was working toward it.  They spent their days training and running the perimeter of the Hale land.  And in the evenings, Isaac would work on his plan to escape Beacon Hills and join Derek and Stiles in Oregon.

            It took him about a week to come up with a viable strategy.  Ever since the day he was questioned, there was a police cruiser that followed him everywhere he went.  After getting Peter’s input and blessing, he broke the distributer cap in the Camaro and had it towed to a mechanic.  He made sure that it was necessary to leave the car at the garage overnight.  It was easy for the police to follow him while he was driving the Camaro during the day, but not so much when he was running under the cover of night.  Isaac sneaked out the back of Derek’s apartment.  He was on the third floor and there were only front and side exits.  No one would expect him to jump out the back window and take to the trees.  Breaking into the mechanic’s shop was easier than he expected; there was no alarm.  The Camaro had already been fixed and was waiting to be picked up in the morning.  Isaac left some money on the desk with a note of apology for breaking in, and then took off for Oregon.

 

            Isaac drove through several counties before he pulled off to rest.  While it was still dark out, he stole a license plate from a navy blue sedan and replaced the Camaro’s plate with it.  He didn’t plan on getting stopped, but if his current plate didn’t match the one the sheriff was sure to put an A.P.B. on, it might buy him enough time to get where he was going.

            After getting a short nap, Isaac got back on the road with no plan to stop for anything but gas between here and Oregon.

***

            Derek had been in a peculiar state since waking that morning.  He felt an unexpected tug at his bond with Isaac and began to worry once he realized what the feeling was.  Isaac was upset and in need of his alpha and Derek was powerless to do anything about it.  He couldn’t risk a call to Beacon Hills and he certainly couldn’t go there to check on his beta.  Derek was out of sorts, growling and snapping at people all morning and by lunch, Laura had had enough.  Immediately following their afternoon meal, Laura put her nephew in “time-out”.  “You will sit in this yard and meditate until you figure out how to enhance your calm!  Am I understood?”

            Cowed, Derek dropped to the ground, crossed his legs together and nodded, “Yes Aunt Laura.”

            Laura turned at the sound of laughter coming from the porch.  Stiles and Marco were getting a kick out of Derek being reprimanded.  “Would you two like to join him?”

            “No ma’am!” The boys called after wiping the smiles from their faces.

            “I didn’t think so.  Get back to your chores!” she directed and the boys left the porch without hesitation.

            Derek felt the slight tug of a smile at the corner of his mouth, but curbed his desire to do so for fear of further punishment.

 

            His concentration was non-existent.  Each time he settled within himself, he felt another insistent tug at the pack bond.  Derek was beginning to think he would have to risk contacting Peter just to make sure Isaac was okay when suddenly he heard the familiar growl of the Camaro’s engine.  The sound of his sister’s car was something he would never forget or mistake with another.  Isaac was driving and he was anxious.  With a growl and flash of crimson eyes Derek rushed to his feet and made his way to the driveway.

            Laura had sensed his distress and come to stand beside him.  She heard the sound of an approaching car that was familiar yet unknown to her, “Someone’s coming,” she stated the obvious.  “You know who it is?” she said more than asked.

            “It’s Isaac…my beta.  I’ve been feeling a pull at our bond all day.”

            “What are you feeling from him?” she asked, placing a calming hand on his arm.

            The warmth and power of his aunt seeped into him and calmed Derek somewhat, “He’s anxious.  Something has to be wrong if he’s coming here.”

            “Perhaps not.”

            “Why else would he be here?!”

            “I guess we’ll find out,” she said when she caught sight of a familiar black car a short distance away.

***

            Isaac felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw Derek standing in the driveway waiting for him.  He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake in coming.  His fear was that Derek wouldn’t want him there since he declined the invitation in the first place.  Sure Derek had said he could change his mind any time, but had he really meant it?  Had he ruined their bond by refusing to go with them?  He had basically abandoned him, right?  Just like Boyd and Erica had.

            When he exited the car, his heart was racing and his palms were sweaty and before he knew what was happening, Derek was on him.  His eyes were red, claws out and he was screaming question after question at him.  But Isaac was too frightened to decipher what was being asked.  All he understood was that his alpha was angry.  Isaac would end up a pack-less omega—if Derek even allowed him live.

            And then the pressing weight of Derek was gone.  His alpha was on the ground, pinned down by another alpha who growled at him until he offered his neck in submission.  Isaac slid down the car until he was crouched beside it, cowering.  When Derek looked at him, there was regret and shame in his eyes.

            “Isaac!”

            Isaac jerked at the sound of his name being shouted.  He recognized the voice and then the scent as he was pulled into wiry arms.  A sure, steady hand carded through his hair and a soothing voice spoke to him in hushed tones, “It’s okay Isaac, you’re safe,” the voice said, “Derek won’t hurt you.”

            “Stiles?” he croaked, his body was shaking.

            “I’m here Isaac.  I’m here pup.  You’re okay,” Stiles soothed over and over.  He didn’t know how, but his instincts told him to rub his hands and face over Isaac, to pacify him with the combined scent of him and Derek.  Before long the shaking stopped and Isaac’s nose was working its way along Stiles’ neck, breathing him in deeply.

            And then Isaac felt himself surrounded by the scent of his alpha.  Once Laura saw that Stiles had the boy in hand, she let Derek up so that he could help comfort his beta.  Derek wrapped his arms around them from behind.  He pressed his nose into the back of Isaac’s neck and breathed in the long missed scent of his first and only true beta.

            “I’m so sorry Isaac,” he murmured and then proceeded to scent the boy.  He licked along the back of his neck and around behind his ear.  “I’d never hurt you; I’m sorry.”

            Isaac shifted until he was able to press his nose into the crook of Derek’s neck.  Breathing in Stiles had been consoling, but breathing in Derek was like coming home.  He let out a high pitched whine before licking a stripe across Derek’s Adam’s apple.

            Stiles, who was still petting Isaac, pressed in close and said, “You’re safe pup; you’re home.”

 

            Laura moved everyone into the house to allow the reunited pack members some privacy.  The trio stayed tangled together, comforting one another with touch and scent.  When they were all blissfully calm and saturated with each other’s scent, Derek finally spoke, “Are you all right? I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

            “Yeah, he’s been a cranky-wolf all day,” Stiles interjected.

            “I’m all right now.  The bond… I can feel you Stiles,” he said in awe.

            “He’s my mate now.  That’s how he knew what to do to comfort you.  A mate’s instincts are to care for and protect the pack…even from the alpha.”

            Stiles caressed Derek’s face, “You’d never hurt your pack Derek; I know that.  But what got you so riled up?”

            “Isaac you were so anxious when you arrived that I was…the wolf took over.  I was terrified that something was wrong; that there was trouble following you.”

            “No!” Isaac insisted, “No, I just… I couldn’t stand being away from you any longer.”

            Isaac took his time to explain how he had felt hollow from the moment Derek and Stiles drove away, until the minute he decided he was going to follow them to Oregon.  He told Stiles how upset his father was to find him missing and how the entire Sheriff’s Department was looking for him.  After detailing being brought in for questioning, being watched, and being confronted by Scott, Isaac described his plan of escape and the execution of said plan.

            Derek was in a slight daze, “You’re here…to stay?”

            “If that’s all right?” Isaac asked cautiously.

            “Of course it’s all right; you’re pack,” Stiles said as if both of them were idiots for thinking anything different.

 

            When he presented Isaac to his aunt, Derek’s wolf swelled with pride at how well poised Isaac was.  He bared his neck in deference to the alpha of the territory, but was certain in his devotion to Derek.  They both still had much to learn, but perhaps things really would be all right.

***

_This is where I know I’m safe_

_The road is my escape_

 


	2. I Have Found the Calm Inside the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac was already flourishing within the pack. Stiles watched on as he played tag with the other young betas. He was smiling—no laughing and pouncing and was more open than he had ever seen the boy. He felt like a proud father so he could only imagine what Derek was feeling when Isaac bested one of the betas during a game of tag. If he had to venture a guess he would say his alpha was probably purring on the inside.  
> “I don’t purr, Stiles!”  
> “Whatever, Sourbrows, you totally get your purr on when you’re all up in my neck after we—”  
> “Stiles!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been sitting in my queue, ready to go for longer than I care to admit. Like the first chapter, I've been agonizing over whether it was good enough to post. I am still undecided, but in order for me to completely commit to finishing chapter three, I had to let this one go. Sorry for the ridiculously long wait; I hope you enjoy it.

_August…_

            Isaac was already flourishing within the pack.  Stiles watched on as he played tag with the other young betas.  He was smiling—no laughing and pouncing and was more open than he had ever seen the boy.  He felt like a proud father so he could only imagine what Derek was feeling when Isaac bested one of the betas during a game of tag.  If he had to venture a guess he would say his alpha was probably purring on the inside.

            “ _I don’t_ purr _, Stiles!”_

_“Whatever, Sourbrows, you totally get your purr on when you’re all up in my neck after we—”_

_“Stiles!”_

 

             When he had arrived in Oregon (after Derek’s mini-breakdown) Isaac was immediately welcomed.  He was given his own room in the cabin because although they were given the place for privacy, Isaac was Derek’s beta and would sleep under the same roof as him.  The blonde learned very quickly how to block out or ignore certain sounds and smells.  He was learning what it was like to grow up in a house full of werewolves.  To make him feel less awkward about it, Derek shared a few embarrassing tales from his childhood, from hearing his parents having sex, to knowing when his younger siblings learned what their private parts were for, and being teased mercilessly by Laura when he reached puberty and frequently woke up from wet dreams  in pools of sweat and semen.

            They had quickly become a family and for all that Derek reveled in it, Stiles could at times sense his melancholy.  He missed his family and Stiles was pretty sure that he and Isaac were the only things that kept him from going off the deep end.  It was easy to understand why Laura and Derek had never spent massive amounts of time with the Jones pack.  They were family yes—blood even—but it was also like they represented everything the siblings had lost.  Stiles’ only hope was that he and Isaac would always be enough for Derek.

***

            It made Derek smile to see Stiles and Isaac not only get along like family, but also get along with Jones Pack members in their age group.  Marco had all but attached himself to Stiles’ hip and Isaac’s by default; they quickly became ‘the three amigos’.  He imagined it could have been Isaac, Stiles and Scott if things in Beacon Hills had gone differently.  Derek sighed wistfully as the trio held a conversation in the back seat, all talking over each other, excited to be heading into town for Isaac and Stiles’ first visit.  He tried not to feel guilty about the fact that it wasn’t Scott with them because Derek knew it would upset Stiles if he tried to take the blame for his and Scott’s relationship falling apart. What’s more, Derek couldn’t handle any more guilt.  As it was, he was working toward offloading the self-reproach he felt for allowing Kate to use him the way she had. 

            He caught his aunt looking at him from the passenger side, her eyebrow arched with a knowing look on her face.  Derek gave her a questioning look to which she only shrugged and then turned her attention to the scenery outside the window.

            The town wasn’t big; there was a small hospital that could handle minor to moderate emergencies and a clinic for everyday ailments; for anything truly serious, a trip to Salem was in order.  Carmen, the doctor who operated the clinic, was in the know about werewolves, which was a huge benefit to the pack.  There was a strip mall with a reasonable variety of stores.  They had come to shop for more farm-appropriate clothing for the trio from Beacon Hills as well as to supply Isaac and Stiles for the coming school year.  When the clothes and school shopping was done, Laura permitted Marco to show the other boys the “fun” parts of town with instructions to meet at the herb shop in an hour’s time.

            Derek noted the grin on Laura’s face when the boys rushed off in a flurry of limbs and laughter.  “What?  You’ve had this look on your face for days now,” Derek said to his aunt gesturing to her face.

            “As much as I’d like it to be, I know your stay here isn’t permanent.  I figure you’ll stay until Stiles is eighteen and has graduated.”

            “Aunt Laura—”

            “No, no, it’s okay Derek.  I realize how hard it is for you to look at me and see your mom.  I get that it’s too much and I know that’s why you and Laura always took so much time in between visits.  It’s hard for me too, you know.  I look at you and see my sister and I think of how much she’s missing; how proud of you she’d be.”

            Derek opened his mouth to protest but Laura wouldn’t have it.  “No Derek, your mother was my other half; I knew her better than anyone.  She could only be disappointed in you if you gave up.  You’ve endured more than any one person should in a single lifetime and you’ve survived.  More than that, you’ve fought!  I know that you see me as a strong and wise alpha, but I don’t think I could have carried on as you have if I had lost everyone I love.”

            “I haven’t lost everyone.  I have Stiles.  And before that I had Laura.”

            “I would have given up Derek.  You are stronger than I could ever hope to be.  I need you to know that and remember it always.  You’re already a good alpha because you recognized that to do right by your pack, you needed help.  And when you return to Beacon Hills, you have my permission for Marco to join your pack.”

            “What?!” he asked completely dumbfounded.

            Laura smiled knowingly, “Can’t you see it?  Marco, though I love him as if he were my own, never bonded with us the way he has clearly bonded with your mate and now your beta.  With time the bond will become so strong that it will physically hurt him to be away from you.  He’s going to ask to join your pack, just you wait and see.  And when he does, you have my permission and blessing to accept him.”

 

            Marco took Stiles and Isaac to the small arcade inside the mall where they played a few games before heading off to see more of the town.  He took them to hotspots where the teenaged pack members who lived in town hung out, the game store, and Uncle Ollie’s favorite electronics store.  Mostly they talked and took in the scenery.  Marco wanted to know everything about Beacon Hills and their encounters with the Argents, the kanima and the alpha pack.  He was awed by the stories they told.  In his opinion, Stiles and Isaac were two of the bravest people he’d ever met.  They had given up their home, family and friends to support Derek.  He loved his adoptive pack, but he missed his family and couldn’t imagine leaving them if it wasn’t a life or death situation.  Marco didn’t know that he could ever show the dedication to Laura that they had shown Derek.

 

            Before long their hour was up and Marco led Stiles and Isaac to the herb shop to meet with Laura and Derek.  The scent of incense was heavy even to Stiles’ nose, so he couldn’t imagine what it was doing to the wolves.  No one was in the immediate store area, so they all looked around and perusing the various displays until Laura, Derek, and who Stiles assumed was the owner, Rain, exited a back room of the shop to greet them.  “Boys, come meet Rain, our resident herbalist and emissary.  Rain meet Derek’s pack, Isaac his beta,” she introduced Isaac who shook her hand shyly and then, “And this is his mate, Stiles.”

            Stiles felt a jolt go through him when their hands met.  It startled him, speeding up his heart and caused Derek to growl low in his throat.

            “Derek!” Laura scolded.

            “It’s okay Laura, he’s only concerned about protecting his mate,” Rain interjected.  “Stiles, are you aware of your spark?”

            Stiles stared at her dumbly for a few moments before a thought passed through his mind, “Dr. Deaton, when he showed me how to was supposed to spread the mountain ash around the warehouse, he mentioned something about be being the spark,” he answered and then was lost in his head thinking about the events of that night.

            “And something happened?”

            “Well,” he paused looking at Derek who nodded his permission to continue speaking with Rain, “There wasn’t enough.  I had like fifty feet left but only a handful of ash.  I remembered Deaton saying that I had to believe, so I closed my eyes and…”

            “You completed the circle?”

            “Yes,” Stiles said in barely a whisper.

            “What does that mean?” Derek asked.

            “It means you’ve chosen a very powerful mate—well he has the potential to become powerful if he nurtures it.”

            “If Stiles is interested, would you be willing to take him on as an apprentice?” Laura asked.

            “I would be honored,” she smiled.

            “Are you saying I could do magic?”

            “In a sense.  You are a spark which makes you not only a conduit for magic, but also a magnet for it.  You can funnel magic throughout yourself and because of this, magic will be attracted to you.  I suspect that suspect that it was always your destiny to become involved in the supernatural.”

            “So I could learn how to do spells and stuff like a witch?” he asked, excited at the prospect of being a badass.

            “Yes, but with the proper training, you won’t need spells.”

            “Derek?” he asked hesitantly.

            “Is it dangerous?” Derek questioned.

            “It would only be dangerous if he tried to learn on his own.  I’ll teach him how to limit the amount of magical energy he channels so that he doesn’t overtax his body, but also so that he doesn’t become drunk with it.  I can see from his aura that it won’t really be an issue,” she said and took Stiles’ hand in hers, “You’re pure Stiles, untainted by a lust for power.  Your main focus is to care for the people you love, even at an expense to yourself.”

            “You got all that from one touch?” Stiles asked, impressed.

            “Yes.”

            “Stiles I can’t make this decision for you.  I want you to be safe, but I also want you to be happy.  If you want this, I’ll support you.”

            “It would be helpful to the pack if I learned how to use the spark?” Stiles queried.

            “Yes, in fact I could train you to become the pack’s emissary.  But it will be good for you as well.  Now that the window to your spark has been opened, it can never be fully shut.  There is a possibility that the spark within you could start to seek out magic on its own, which would be very dangerous for you.  It’s a very small possibility; however, why take the chance?  I’m sure whoever alerted you to your spark had plans to teach you how to control and use it for the benefit of your pack.  Take some time to think it over—”

            “No need.  When do we start lessons?” Stiles asked abruptly.

            Rain only smiled at him, amused by his enthusiasm.

***

_September…_

            Today was his son’s birthday and John was beside himself with grief and worry.  He had pushed his son to run away from home and now John was living the nightmare of not knowing if his little boy was okay.  John had to reprimand himself at the thought; Stiles _was no_ t a little boy.  That was what he had tried to make John understand before Stiles took what he felt was his only option and ran away.  John wasn’t mad at himself for doing what a father should do, protect his child, he was just sorry he hadn’t listen to Stiles when he spoke of his love for Derek.  He had thought that Stiles was only infatuated with the good-looking, older man; that it was puppy love mixed with teenaged hormones and lust.  However, Stiles cared enough for Derek to leave his father behind to be with him.  The thing that made the situation worse was that he hadn’t heard from Stiles at all, not a phone call, letter, email or even a text message. 

            John was thinking the worst when Scott walked into his office with a solemn look and a single cupcake.  The boy seemed to be suffering nearly as much as himself.  And when Scott explained the part he felt he played in Stiles’ decision to leave Beacon Hills, the older man understood.  They had both been guilty of neglecting Stiles, while Stiles had always gone out of his way to make sure they were cared for.  So together, they sat in the Sheriff’s office and celebrated Stiles’ seventeenth birthday.  Each shared their favorite stories of Stiles’ antics; they spoke about how much they missed him and what they would be willing to give to have him back home.

            Scott was midway through his story of Stiles teaching him how to control his heart rate when a call came through.  John had told them to hold his calls while Scott was there; however, judging by the ring, this was a call from someone who had dialed his direct extension.  Assuming it was Melissa checking in on Scott, John answered without irritation in his voice, “Stilinski.”

            “Hi Dad.”

            Scott perked up at the sound of his friend’s voice.

            “Stiles?” John asked quietly, not quite believing that after nearly four months of silence, his son was finally making contact.

            “Yeah, it’s me, Dad.  How are you?”

            John balked at that, “How am I?!  How are you?  Are you all right?  Has Hale—”

            “Dad Derek would never hurt me.  I’m fine—I’m happy, I … I’ve missed you since the day I left town, but today…”

            “I miss you too kiddo, so much.”  It was taking everything in him to keep the tears at bay.  “Where are you Stiles?”

            “You know I’m not going to tell you that.  And I’ve made sure this call is untraceable, so don’t bother.”

            John hadn’t even thought of that, he was just thrilled to be hearing his boy’s voice, “Just come home.  I promise everything will be okay if you just come home,” he begged.

            “If we step foot in Beacon Hills, you’ll shoot Derek.”

            “I won’t!”

            “Maybe not, but you _will_ arrest him; nothing you say will convince me otherwise.  I promise you that I’m being taken care of.  We’re…we’re in a good place.  Derek is learning how to be a proper alpha and Isaac is learning how to be a good werewolf.  We’re both in school…”

            Stiles rambled on for a while about the mundane pieces of his new life; the fact that he was continuing his education and Derek’s and his relationship was stronger than ever.  He explained to his father about being a spark, about what it meant, and that he had likely inherited it from one of his parents.  Stiles assured him that he was being safe and learning from a well-practiced instructor.  And before he could go into a tirade about the fact that his son was now a magic practitioner, Stiles switched the subject to his John’s health and diet, Melissa…and Scott.  When his dad offered to put Scott on the line, Stiles declined.  Talking to his dad had been taxing enough; he wasn’t prepared to have the inevitable conversation with Scott.  Just knowing he was there with his father was enough for Stiles.  He stressed to his father that he was well and happy and that he missed Beacon Hills every day.

            “Stiles, are you ever coming home again?”

            “I promise that I won’t stay away forever.  Derek needs to be here for now and I need to be with Derek.”

            “Stiles—”

            “Dad he’s my mate and there’s nothing you can do to change that.  We’re bonded now and we love each other.  He’s my family dad.”

            “I get it Stiles, I do.  I don’t like it, but I get it.  I’m sorry that you felt like you needed to run away to prove it to me.”

            “I didn’t run away to prove anything to anyone.  I ran away to be happy.  I’m so happy dad and I promise I’ll come home one day.  I have to go now.  I love you dad.”

            “I love you too Stiles.  And kid?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Happy birthday.”

***

            Derek pulled him into a comforting embraced after the call.  It had been a very emotional experience for Stiles and Derek wasn’t sure how he managed to keep from bawling several times throughout the conversation.  “You know you could—”

            Stiles shook his head; he wouldn’t go back to Beacon Hills without Derek and Isaac.  And he certainly couldn’t go back while his father was still upset enough to arrest Derek.  “After Isaac and I are eighteen, have finished school and you’re all super awesome alpha, we’ll go back home.”

            “Stiles you realize that means you’ll be gone from home for nearly two years, right?”

            “You think I didn’t know what it would mean when I asked to come with you, Derek?  I miss my dad and Scott, but they’ll manage without me for a while.”

            “But they’re your family.”

            “I know, but so are you and Isaac,” he said and offered Derek a kiss, indicating that he was done with the subject.  “How about we go to that surprise party Aunt Laura planned for me?”

            “Who told you?”

            Stiles grinned, “You just did,” he chuckled, “I can’t believe you fell for that,” he teased as they headed out of Uncle Ollie’s office toward the living room where everyone popped out and shouted “surprise” just for principle.  This was the first time anyone had bothered planning a surprise party for Stiles, so the fact that he found out their secret didn’t stop him from being excited.  He set aside his sadness over spending his first birthday ever without his dad and enjoyed the food, games and presents.

            He received gifts of comics, magical charms, herbs, and few rare books from Jones pack members he had become friendly with.  Isaac gifted him with a new red hoodie, which was the running joke in the Hale pack.  Aunt Laura and family gave him a new laptop; Uncle Ollie had put it together specially for Stiles, “I know how I’d feel if my boy was away from me.  I set this up so that you could keep tabs on your dad and maybe shoot him a message from time to time to let him know you’re alive and well without being traced.”

            Stiles threw his arms around Uncle Ollie and squeezed him, “Guys I don’t know what to say,” his voice was full of emotion, “This is the best present ever.”

            “I wouldn’t say that until you’ve opened Derek’s present,” Aunt Laura said with a wink.

            Stiles spun around to face Derek, “Hey there beautiful, where _is_ my present?” he asked rubbing his hands together and waggling his eyebrows at Derek.

            Derek nodded to Isaac who returned the gesture and then rushed outside.  He then turned his full attention to his mate, wrapping his arms around his waist, “So, I stressed over what to get you for weeks,” he murmured pressing his forehead to Stiles’.

            “Aw, baby, you know I’ll love anything you give me.  Just the fact that you want to make me happy is enough.”

            “It’s not enough.  I want to give the world to you Stiles.  I know how much you miss everyone and everything in Beacon Hills, but I also see how much you’re enjoying yourself here, which makes me so happy.”

            “It’s so beautiful here; I love exploring and I’m enjoying my lessons with Rain.”

            “I know,” he said with a grin, “Your present will hopefully make your exploration a little easier.”

            “What is it?” he asked excitedly.

            “Follow me,” he said taking Stiles by the hand and leading him to the door.

            Outside sat a bright red 10th Anniversary Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Edition.  “Are you kidding me?” Stiles asked in wonder, running his hands through his hair in disbelief.

            “I know how much you miss your Jeep.”

            “Derek this is a brand new Jeep!” he exclaimed as he walked off the porch to where Isaac was standing holding out a set of keys.

            “Do you like it?” Derek asked hopeful.

            “Do I like it?!” he asked incredulously.  “Holy fuck Derek this is the best present ever!” he said happily and jumped into his mate’s unprepared arms.  Derek stumbled for a moment, then righted himself, hefting Stiles higher up and encouraging him to wrap his legs around his waist.  “It’s too much,” Stiles murmured caressing Derek’s cheek with his thumb.

            Derek’s lips chased the digit, pressing a soft kiss to the pad, “It could never be too much for you.  You chose me over everyone else in your life.  I could never give you enough to show you how much that means to me.  This is just something that you need.”

            Derek’s pattern of thought was that the Camaro was off limits to all of them; they couldn’t take a chance hoping that Sheriff Stilinski had called off the search for it.  And the three of them sharing the truck wasn’t going to work.  Stiles was his mate, his spouse and he needed his own vehicle to get him to town for his lessons with Rain, to take Isaac wherever he needed to go, and to use when things got to be too much and he needed to escape for a while.

            “Let’s go for a ride,” Stiles said with a wicked grin.

            Needless to say Isaac would only ride in the Jeep with the windows down for the first two months.

***

_October…_

            The pack had plans to spend the holiday in town as was their tradition.  They would take the younger children trick-or-treating and then head over to the town hall for the annual Halloween party.  When Stiles learned that everyone was expected to wear costumes—no matter how much Derek grumbled and bitched about it—he took it upon himself to handle the costumes for the Hale Pack, of which Marco became an honorary member for the evening in order for the theme to work.

            Derek glared daggers at Stiles from behind his pink pig snout and ears.  He was wearing his _I’m going to rip out your throat with my teeth_ look which hadn’t scared Stiles since the incident with the monkshood bullet.  It was only made worse by the fact that Isaac and Marco were dressed identical to him and were grinning like fools as Stiles showed off his werewolf costume.

            And then Aunt Laura was snapping pictures and giggling, “The three little pigs and the big bad wolf, I would call it ridiculous and cliché if you all didn’t look so darn adorable.”

            “I am seriously rethinking all of my life choices right now,” Derek muttered.

            “Oh, quit complaining Sourwolf, this is hilariously awesome,” Stiles said as he grinned for the camera.

            Once they got to town and saw that it was basically a huge party, Derek stopped grumbling.  They didn’t encounter anyone who wasn’t wearing a costume.  Even the police officers had halos or devil’s ears attached to their regulation hats.  The younger children of the pack were having a ball collecting candy and comparing costumes, and his pack, Isaac and Stiles and (unofficially) Marco, hadn’t stopped smiling since they had donned their costumes.  All he could think was how much Laura would have loved this, but he didn’t allow himself the chance to get melancholy.  Or rather, Stiles didn’t allow it.  He slipped his hand into Derek’s and dragged him along the trick-or-treat route smiling and pointing out costumes he wished he had thought of.

            After the trick-or-treating was done and the children were herded into a separate area to have their candy examined and to participate in child appropriate activities; the older teens and adults headed to the main hall where there were refreshments and music.  For the first time in longer than Derek could remember, he allowed himself to drop his guard and let loose.  Aunt Laura and the entire pack was there, if trouble arose, they would handle it, so for now…

            Derek pulled Stiles onto the dance floor, much to the young man’s surprise, and pushed against him as his hips swayed to the beat.  It didn’t take a full minute for Stiles to get with the program and begin moving with Derek.  Before long they were surround by Isaac, Marco, Carla and several of the younger pack members.  They all danced together, with no one partner in particular, matching moves, tripping one another up and just enjoying themselves.  And for a while, Derek felt like he could be happy again.  It was a feeling that came and went with his moods since he met Stiles.  Since _being_ with Stiles, the feeling came more frequently and lasted for longer periods.  Maybe before it was all said and done, Derek would finally _believe_ that he was allowed to have something nice.

            Derek dragged Stiles to him, pressing them together, hip to hip, chest to chest.  He pushed his lips against his love’s, awkwardly due to their costumes, but thoroughly, leaving Stiles breathless and holding on to Derek for stability.  “W-what was that for?”

            “I have never been so happy and it’s because of you.  Thank you, Stiles, for giving me—”

            “You’re welcome you big, sappy, closet romantic,” Stiles laughed, before returning the kiss.  He knew what Derek wanted to say, but didn’t need to hear it.  His mate was happy and actually willing to share his feelings; that alone was enough to make Stiles happy in return.

***

_November…_

            Thanksgiving with werewolves was a fascinating event.  They set up several long tables outside to accommodate the pack.  Multiple fire pits were used to roast several turkeys (they _were_ feeding a pack of werewolves.)  Stiles and Isaac made pies and cookies for dessert while Derek, Kyle and Ollie tended the fire pits and cooked the turkeys.  The rest of the family helped out by preparing other dishes for dinner, setting up, or just staying the hell out of the way.  Stiles sent pictures to his father and Scott of himself and Isaac in the kitchen surrounded by baked goods, and of him helping Derek carve a turkey.  He wished them a happy day and assured them that he was missing them both terribly.

            At dinner everyone had a chance to say what they were thankful for.  Isaac giving thanks that he was _wanted_ nearly broke Stiles.  Derek was thankful for Stiles, and Stiles was thankful for his new extended family.  Kelley lightened the mood by sharing her thankfulness at being near the end of her pregnancy.

            Derek and Stiles watched as a spark developed between Isaac and Carla.  Derek wasn’t sure how to feel about the possibility of his beta and his cousin becoming romantically involved.  It only took Stiles offering his hand a comforting squeeze and Derek was able to focus on the celebration and worry about what was to come when it actually came.

            After dinner they all gathered around the fire pits and cuddled in various piles enjoying the feeling of full stomachs, the night air, and closeness of pack.

***

_December..._

            It was two weeks before Christmas during the full moon run when Kelley went into labor.  Stiles and Uncle Ollie were home with her when the contractions started and they didn’t panic until thirty minutes in when it became evident that the baby _was_ coming.  Kyle, Laura and Derek could all sense their mates’ distress and veered off from the pack to return home.  It only took moments for the pack to respond in kind and follow them. 

            Like with everything else in the pack, they handled it at home.  Carmen, the clinic doctor and resident werewolf whisperer— _Really_ Stiles?!—drove out to the farm to act as a midwife for Kelley.  The labor was hard for Kelley who decided early on for a truly natural delivery.  There was a lot of screaming, crying and cursing on her part.  She wouldn’t allow Kyle to take away the pain— _That would be cheating!_ —and there was a lot of sympathetic whining from the wolves.

            When it was over Kelley finally allowed Carmen to administer pain medication and then there was a lot of crying as the pack filed into the bedroom and welcomed their newest member.   Oliver was a squealing bundle of pink flesh and the most beautiful thing anyone had seen in a long time.  After his parents held him and shed tears of joy at his perfection, baby Ollie was passed around to each member of the pack.  Stiles watched two fat tears roll down Derek’s cheeks as he held his cousin for the first time.  It made him happy to see his mate so open with his emotions.  Before it had been something reserved for Stiles only; however, lately Derek was opening up more and more in front of the pack.  As Derek handed the baby to Stiles, and stood back to watch him coo over the sleepy child, Stiles could feel something amiss with his alpha.

            Derek excused himself after seeing Stiles with a baby in his arms became too much for him to handle.  He left the main house and headed to their cabin.  The emotions were overwhelming.  By the time Stiles passed the baby to Marco, Derek was long gone, but he could feel the sadness rolling off of his mate in thick, heavy waves.  Stiles sent a look of reassurance to a worried Isaac before following the alpha.  As he walked home, prepared to do anything to comfort him, Stiles sensed everything that was making Derek feel so miserable.

            Derek would never hold an infant niece or nephew.  Laura would never have a mate or children.  His sister was gone and she would never get to have a family; nor would he other than Stiles and Isaac.  There would never be another Hale born into their family; he was the only one left.  And while he would never regret taking Stiles as his mate, it still hurt that his family legacy would die with him— _because of him_.

            Stiles was in tears by the time he reached the cabin.  He hurt for Derek, for Laura and for the entirety of the Hale family.  They hadn’t deserved to be wiped out.  Derek deserved a family with children of his own.  As Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek he wished more than anything that he could give him cubs; fill their home with children of both their blood, because when Stiles thought on it, he was the last Stilinski.

            That night Derek took Stiles on his hands and knees.  He worshiped every inch of his pale, freckle-spotted skin, thankful that it was his to adore.  He thrust into him with deep, frantic strokes as though it was the last time he would get to touch him.  And Stiles gave himself eagerly to Derek, pushing back to meet each of Derek’s with his own frenetic thrusts, fucking himself enthusiastically onto Derek’s cock.  They held nothing back, pushing as hard and as fast as their bodies would allow, crying out their pleasure into each other’s skin.  There would be many a dirty look at breakfast in the morning, but neither cared, too caught up in the moment, in each other.

            Stiles’ release came with a startled groan; he hadn’t even touched himself.  Then Derek gasped in surprise and stilled, pulling Stiles hard against him.  His knot was swelling inside his mate but his heat wasn’t for months yet.  He didn’t dwell on it as he became lost in the pleasure of his own orgasm.  Stiles whimpered Derek’s name as he felt himself being unexpectedly stretched and the first jets of semen began to fill him.  Derek’s cock shuddered with each spurt and it was a long time before he stopped spilling inside of Stiles.  Carefully, he maneuvered them to lie on their sides.  The slight tug against his rim made Stiles moan and clench around the knot.  Derek’s dick jolted and shot several more jets of come into his mate—he wasn’t sure how there was any fluid left inside him.  It was nearly an hour before the knot subsided and Derek was able to gently pull his spent penis from Stiles’ body.  And then he just spooned behind him, wrapped his arm around his love’s waist and breathed him in until sleep claimed them both.

 

            Stiles spent the next three days in bed.  His stomach was in a continuous state of cramping and spasming and he was unable to keep anything solid down.  They didn’t want to bother Carmen, who was working between her clinic and the farm.  And the hospital was too extreme for what they assumed was just a stomach virus, so Derek, Isaac and Marco stayed at Stiles’ bedside caring for him.  They bathed his brow and neck with a cool cloth, held him over the toilet when his stomach wouldn't hold down anything, fed him broth and Gatorade when it would, and cuddled him when he was able to rest.

            On the fourth day Stiles woke refreshed, feeling like himself again, and starving.

***

_January…_

            During a New Year’s phone call to his father, Stiles learned that, after years of dancing around each other, thanks to the high emotional stress they were both experiencing, John and Melissa fell into a hesitant relationship.  And with Stiles’ and Scott’s blessings, they wished to cultivate it into something serious and permanent.  Stiles was overwhelmed with emotion.  He and Scott had all but given up hope that their parents would finally open their eyes, realize they were crazy for each other and make them brothers for real.

            It hurt that he hadn’t been there to see it happen, but at the same time, he didn’t think it would have happened if Stiles hadn’t left Beacon Hills the way he did.  Maybe they would have finally caught a clue when they had both become empty nesters—which would be happening soon enough, but that would have left so much time wasted.  Stiles gave his very enthusiastic blessing and for the first time since leaving, allowed himself the opportunity to speak with Scott briefly.

            “Stiles?”

            Scott’s voice was so small and hopeful that Stiles had to steady his own before responding, “Don’t let them mess this up Scotty.  It took ‘em long enough to finally see what we knew all along.”

            Scott chuckled softly, “I promise I’ll keep my eye on them.  We’ll be real bros if… Stiles I’m so sorry!”

            “I know you are Scotty, and so am I.  We’ll fix things when I come home, I promise.”

            “When _are_ you coming home Stiles?  We all miss you so much.”

            “I can’t give you a date, but I know it won’t happen before graduation.”

            “But Stiles, that’s so far away.”

            “I know it is, Scott,” was all Stiles offered him.  Scott remained quiet for several moments, hoping to hear more.  “I gotta go Scott.  Happy New Year.”

            “Stiles!” he called, but Stiles had already disconnected the call.

***

_February…_

            Stiles became sick again.  Derek assumed it was the same sort of stomach bug he had months ago until he noticed the change in Stiles’ scent.  He brought his aunt to their cabin to make sure he wasn’t over reacting, and much to his dismay, Laura noticed the change as well.  They took him to the clinic where Carmen ran every test she could in her small facility but found nothing amiss.  A week later the sickness was not abating and the change in Stiles’ scent was becoming stronger.  They decided to go to Rain and see if she could find a magical explanation for Stiles’ condition.

            “Can you describe what the change in his scent is like?” she asked after listening to his symptoms.

            Derek frowned; he didn’t have a distinct feeling as to what the change in his scent resembled.  So, he pressed his nose into the crook of Stiles’ neck and breathed him in deeply.  Laura did the same at the back of his neck. “It’s weird; it doesn’t exactly smell like sickness, just…different,” Derek said.

            Laura inhaled, opened her mouth to speak, stuttered and then sniffed again, “It’s...that can’t be right,” she muttered more to herself than the trio waiting for her opinion.

            “What is it Laura?” Rain asked calmly.

            “Well now that I’m really paying attention to the actual smell and not just the fact that it isn’t Stiles’ normal scent—it just doesn’t make sense.”

            “It doesn’t matter if it _seems_ to make sense because we’re dealing with a powerful spark who’s mated to an alpha werewolf, quite literally anything would make sense in this situation.”

            “Not what I’m thinking.”

            “Aunt Laura, please!” Stiles begged.

            “Oh, I’m sorry sweetie,” she apologized when she remembered that it was his health hanging in the balance, “Well,” she began hesitantly, slightly embarrassed by where he thoughts had taken her, “If Stiles wasn’t a male I’d say he was pregnant.”

            Stiles choked while Derek stared at his aunt in disbelief, “Well we know that can’t be it,” Stiles balked as Derek breathed him in once more.

            He gasped, “But that’s exactly what you smell like!”

            “Except that, last I heard, men couldn’t get pregnant.”

            “True,” Rain began, “but Stiles you’re much more than merely a man.”

            That statement was the reason Derek was currently in the pharmacy buying every brand of pregnancy test they sold.  His aunt was keeping Stiles calm while Rain researched any and all possibilities of magically induced male pregnancy.

 

            After revisiting their sexual history for the last three months, researching and taking a dozen pregnancy tests they were all convinced that Stiles was pregnant.  Rain’s best guess, after speaking with them separately and as a couple, was that between the power of Derek’s alpha status, the energy from the full moon, Stiles’ magic as a spark, and both their desire to carry on their family legacies together, they magicked themselves a baby.  Buried deep down in her research was an account of a female alpha pair spontaneously conceiving a child when everything magical and supernatural lined up perfectly.  Once they learned what they had done by accident, the pair had tried it again purposely and received the same results.

            “So you’re telling me that between the two of us, we wished me pregnant?” Stiles asked incredulously.

            “Basically,” Rain shrugged.  “We should have Carmen do a blood test to confirm it, but it looks like you’ll be having a cub of your very own.”

            There was mild chaos after that announcement.  Stiles and Derek couldn’t decide if they wanted to be happy or terrified by the prospect of being parents and at Stiles being the one to carry and deliver their child.  They had been a couple for less than a year and mated for less than that.  Stiles was only seventeen and had yet to even finish high school.  Stiles was male and ill equipped to gestate and birth a baby.  But on the morning they were scheduled to visit Carmen’s clinic to receive the results of the blood test, everything became clear.

            Derek and Stiles were still abed, avoiding the pack and not wanting to even think about their visit to the clinic until the absolute last moment.  Stiles was resting against the pillows and Derek was draped over him.  His head was resting on Stiles’ hip while his fingers wondered over his naked thigh.  Stiles was lightly scrubbing his fingers through Derek’s hair trying not to think of anything when he heard his mate gasp and felt fingers gripped his leg tightly.  “Derek, what is it?”

            Derek didn’t answer right away and Stiles’ heartbeat ramped up, worried that he had sensed something wrong, something bad.

            Finally Derek’s head shot up and the look on his face was like nothing he could ever describe, but it made Stiles want to melt into a puddle at Derek’s feet.  Stiles’ knew he would never forget that look.  “I…I think…”

            “What is it?!” Stiles urged.

            “I heard a heartbeat,” he said softly.

            Stiles didn’t know what to think or feel about it.  “As in…”

            “I heard our baby’s heartbeat.”

            And those five words changed everything forever.

            After seeing the look in his eyes and hearing the wonder in his voice, Stiles knew that no matter the risk or hardship, he and Derek were having this baby.

***

_March…_

            _This_ baby turned into _these babies_.  Apparently when Stiles wished to give Derek a house full of cubs, the magic took him quite literally.  He was carrying triplets and if he had been freaked out before about being a pregnant, male teen, he was in outright panic mode at the moment.  Carmen, having knowledge of the exact date of conception knew she could hold off on the ultrasound.  Her reasoning was the longer she waited, the better they would be able to see their child.  Stiles was fourteen weeks along when he had insisted on an ultrasound.  The couple gasped and whispered in awe and then Carmen gasped in shock.

            Dropping the bomb about the triplets was almost as bad as when she had confirmed his blood test had returned positive.  There was disbelief and several questions as to her ability to read an ultrasound before Carmen was able to calm them and get them to accept the reality of their situation.

            Stiles immediately went into overprotective mode.  His babies would be dependent on him the most in the beginning so he planned for it.  Stiles redoubled his effort on his studies and finished enough credits to complete his junior year early.  He then immediately started work on his senior credits knowing that he had taken enough credits between freshman and junior years to need very few to graduate.  Stiles wanted his children to be his sole focus when they arrived.

            Their new reality also forced Derek to re-evaluate his current place in the world at large.  He had been four credits away from finishing his degree before Laura disappeared and he returned to Beacon Hills to look for her.  Stiles’ enthusiasm for finishing his schooling, and his desire to be the best parent he could be, inspired Derek to finish those last credits and then apply to a masters program.  Living off of the life insurance, no matter how well it had been invested, wasn’t the example he wanted to set for his cubs.  He wanted them to see him as a hard worker who provided for his pack, so that they would grow up with the same values.  So Derek got a job working construction on the side.  The heavy lifting was nothing for him and his experience with structural engineering made him an asset early on.

            And the fact that coming home dirty and sweaty was extra appealing to Stiles’ new and improved hormones was an added bonus.  Stiles couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of Derek, much to Isaac’s chagrin.

***

_April…_

            The Jones pack was in an alliance with the Williams pack, whose territory bordered Oregon and Washington.  As a way of fortifying their alliance, the Jones and Williams packs took turns hosting pack gatherings.  The annual gathering was set for the springtime, when everything was fresh and new.  This year hosting duties fell to the Jones pack so the Williams alpha and key members of his pack travelled to Jones territory where the lot of them would camp out for several days and reaffirm their bond with one another and nature.

            Derek was looking forward to this year’s gathering.  He and Laura had only been present for one their first year in Oregon and all things considered, it was a pleasurable time.  This would also be a test to see how Isaac handled himself around another pack’s alpha; an alpha that wasn’t like family to him.  The same was true for Derek; as an alpha he had only been around his aunt—the alpha pack notwithstanding.  He had gained quite a lot of control in the months he had been learning from her and now he would see how much he had truly learned.

            Much to Laura’s pride, Derek was a model alpha during his reintroduction to Alpha Jesse Williams, his mate Maddy, daughter Lindsey and the four betas he had brought with him.  However; to her dismay, it was immediately obvious to everyone save Derek that Lindsey was completely besotted with him.  Since mating with Stiles her nephew saw nothing and no one else in a sexual manner.  And with three cubs on the way Derek’s only thoughts were to prepare for them and become a better alpha and provider.  Laura knew this could spell trouble; however, she decided to use this as a test.  The test wasn’t only for Derek but for Jesse as well.  As Lindsey’s alpha and as a guest on Jones land it was his job to keep any and all members of his pack in control, and that included his daughter.

            It was almost painful to watch Lindsey practically throwing herself at Derek while the young alpha ignored her at every turn, speaking mostly with Jesse about life in Washington.  But observe was all Laura did; watching and wondering when one of her parents was going to reel Lindsey in before Derek’s disregard of her turned the young she-wolf hostile.  They decided to take a traditional pre-lunch run.  Maddy and Lindsey decided they would stay behind with Oliver and Kelley and Laura’s only hope was that Stiles didn’t come home early from his session with Rain.  That, of course, was exactly what happened.

            Stiles drove up a few minutes after the pack had left for their run.  He saw the group surrounding the picnic table and knew he had missed them leaving, but asked anyway, “Did I miss them?” he called as he approached.

            “You’re about five minutes too late,” Kelley answered.

            “Well damn,” Stiles frowned, “Hello, I’m Stiles,” he introduced himself to Lindsey who was staring at him warily.

            “Stiles this is Lindsey and her mother Maddy of the Williams pack.”

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Stiles said politely, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you when you arrived but I had a prior engagement in town.”

            “That’s quite all right, Stiles, is it?”

            “Yes.”  Before Maddy or Lindsey could ask any more questions, baby Ollie squealed happily in Stiles’ direction.  “Ollie my main man, how’s it going buddy?” he asked in a soft voice as he reached for the infant.

            Kelley handed him off and watched as Stiles cooed and showered her son with love and affection.  It was evident that his cubs would want for nothing with Stiles as their… _mother_? _Father?_ Whatever, they would be well-loved and happy.  She left Ollie with Stiles while the rest of them kept the Williams pack occupied.

            After a while, Lindsey joined them on a blanket in the grass, unable to resist Ollie’s cuteness as Stiles coached him in his attempts at pushing himself up.  “He’s so cute.”

            “Isn’t he though?” Stiles smiled down at his… _cousin_?

            “You’re really good with him.”

            “You think so?” he asked.

            “Yes, it’s obvious that he adores you.”

            “Well I am kind of adorable,” he joked and Lindsey laughed with him.

            It was then that the first of the wolves began to return.  “Look Ollie, here comes daddy,” he said pointing to the figures in the distance.

            Kelley came over to the blanket to scoop Ollie up in preparation for greeting her mate.  Oliver squealed with delight when his father arrived.  One of the Williams betas arrived and dropped a squirrel at Maddy’s feet.  Isaac and Marco arrived and dropped two rabbits at Stiles’ feet.  “Aw, you two,” he gushed scrubbing his hands over their heads with warm affection.

            Laura and Jesse returned with fawns for their mates.  Derek was carrying a doe with his massive muzzle.  Lindsey grinned wildly as he approached her direction, thinking that Derek had finally decided to make his intentions known.  “Oh Derek you shouldn’t have,” she said excitedly when he dropped the doe.

            Stiles, who was standing only inches from her, whipped his head around at her, “Shouldn’t have what?”        

            “Well I would think that living with a werewolf pack you would know their customs by now,” she said with irritation.

            “Oh _I_ know their customs; I’m thinking it’s you who are a little confused,” he said getting upset with every word he spoke.  It quickly became obvious that the bubble-headed girl actually thought Derek had brought the doe for her.  Werewolf or not, no one was laying claim to gifts from his mate but him!  “You don’t actually think he brought that for you, do you?”

            “Of course he brought it for me, _human_ ,” she growled at Stiles, eyes flashing yellow.  He was questioning her claim to her gift and her wolf wouldn’t stand for it.

            Marco and Isaac were suddenly flanking him, growling and Derek moved in front of him, pushing him back away from Lindsey a few paces.  “It’s okay Sourwolf,” he said rubbing his hand in the fur at the back of Derek’s neck.

            Lindsey was confused as to why Derek would bring her a gift and then threaten her, and why was the human boy _petting_ him?  The two packs began shifting back to their human forms, hoping to settle things before there was bloodshed.

            “Lindsey what is going on here?” Jesse asked his voice stern, yet full of concern.

            “This human got in between me and Derek after he brought me a gift.”

            “And I’m trying to tell you he didn’t bring you a gift.”  Derek let loose a low warning growl when Stiles’ heart rate ramped up.

            “But he dropped it at her feet,” Maddy interjected.

            “It would look like that when she’s standing right next to me—I swear I’ve never met more clueless werewolves in my life,” he muttered.  “Derek, would you please shift back and explain it to them?” Stiles sighed.

            “He won’t shift until he’s sure there’s no threat to you,” Laura said as she approached the group.

            “Very well,” Jesse took hold of his daughter and backed away from Stiles.

            It was another minute before Derek shifted back to his human form, but his first instinct was to wrap arms around Stiles, scenting him, while trying to calm him.  “Are you all right?” he asked.

            “I’m fine, just a little irritated.”

            “I see now, you threatened a member of his pack, Lindsey, of course he’s upset.”

            “Stiles isn’t _just_ a member of my pack, he’s my mate!” Derek growled.

            “No, _he_ can’t be your mate; you’re to be _my_ mate,” she exclaimed, hysteria creeping into her voice.

            “Sorry blondie, but you’re sadly mistaken,” Stiles taunted.

            “But my daughter’s been making advances at you all day,” Maddy claimed.

            “Advances that I have been _politely_ ignoring, hoping she would take the hint without me having to hurt her feelings outright,” countered Derek.

            “But he’s just a human; he’s not worthy of an alpha,” Lindsey complained.

            “ _My_ mate is human,” Laura said with a slight edge to her voice.

            Kyle added angrily, “As is mine.”

            “I-I-I…” Lindsey stuttered but no response was forthcoming.

            “You have managed to insult two packs in less than twelve hours,” Laura began, “I have to say Jesse I’m a little surprised you haven’t taught your cub better.”

            “How dare—” Maddy began an admonishment aimed at Laura, but her alpha silenced her with a growl.

            “You have my most sincere apologies Alpha Jones.  My cub _has_ been taught better, but it seems she has forgotten herself.”  He turned to Derek, “Alpha Hale, I offer my apologies to you and your mate as well.  We were clearly remiss in assuming that you were ignoring our child’s advances out of modesty rather than disinterest.”

            “Your apology is accepted.  If you’ll excuse us, my mate needs to rest.  We’ll see you at dinner,” Derek said, hoisted Stiles into his arms and carried his half-heartedly protesting mate to their cabin.  Clearly his scent hadn’t been prominent enough on Stiles if Lindsey hadn’t noticed it.  Derek needed to fix that.

           

            Once inside their cabin Derek carried Stiles into the bedroom and tossed him onto the bed with a growl, “Take your clothes off,” he commanded.

            “Derek—”  Derek’s eyes flashed crimson, brooking no argument.  “So fucking hot,” he murmured as he began to comply.  He moved to a kneeling position and tugged his shirt over his head.  “Is this a jealousy thing?” he asked as his hands when to his fly.

            “It’s a mate thing,” Derek rasped.  He wrapped his hand around his cock and stroked it slowly while watching Stiles disrobe, “Need to get my scent on you.  Make sure they know who you belong to.”

            It was such a turn on for Stiles when Derek regressed to caveman behavior.  It should anger him that he was being treated like a possession, but it didn’t.  Instead it made his chest swell with pride.  Derek had claimed him, mated him, he desired no one _but_ him.  Who wouldn’t be turned on by the idea that Derek, in all his physical magnificence, wanted only them?  And Derek’s physical beauty was just the tip of the iceberg; he was so much more than his good looks.  His mate was a closet romantic and sap, he was strong and loyal and wanted his pack’s happiness above all else.  Stiles was lucky to have him.

            And for all that Derek possessed him, Stiles owned Derek as well.  He deferred to Stiles when decisions affected the pack as a whole.  He offered himself up to Stiles, trusting him with his pack, his life, and his heart.  He loved that Stiles claimed him with the same fervor.

            Derek released his cock, walked to the nightstand and removed the lube from the drawer.  “On your back,” he instructed and Stiles obeyed.  Derek climbed onto the bed on his knees.  He ran his hand along Stiles’ naked thigh loving the softness of the skin there.  Moving back from his lover, Derek grasped the lube, flipped the lid open and squirted some onto his fingers.  Stiles spread his legs wide, lifting his knees to give Derek better access, but choked out a gasp when instead of moving toward him, Derek put his hand behind himself.  The alpha grunted as he pressed two fingers fully inside of himself.

            “Fuck,” Stiles breathed and his cocked jumped at the mental image of what was happening beyond his sight, “Wanna see,” he begged.

            “Next time,” Derek groaned.  His movements were perfunctory; his goal was to ease the way for Stiles’ cock.  He worked his way up to four fingers with little difficulty, but the angle was all wrong for true pleasure.  “Wet your cock,” he rasped unable to hold back for much longer.

            Stiles managed to tear his eyes away from Derek’s beautifully straining body long enough to search out the lube.  His cock was stiff and weeping and jerked in his grip as he coated it in the slick substance, “N-now, Derek.  I need you now,” he whimpered.

            Derek pulled his fingers from his clenching hole, straddled Stiles’ hips and leaned down to kiss him wildly, “Love you,” he murmured then reached behind him, took hold of Stiles’ cock and lined it up at his entrance.  He peered down at Stiles, silently asking for and getting permission before sinking down onto him.  They both gasped and held their breath as Stiles’ swollen head breached him.  When the head was inside, Derek paused giving them both a moment to adjust and catch their breath.  “Okay?” Derek asked, voice low and gravelly.

            Stiles nodded and Derek wasted no time in pushing down onto him.  Stiles choked out a sob as he was completely enveloped in Derek’s heat.  Derek gripped the headboard and began riding his mate in earnest.  Stiles’ hands fastened onto Derek’s hips as the alpha bounced on his cock, “Oh my God Derek,” he groaned.

            “You like that Stiles?”  Stiles only nodded, mouth open and panting but unable to speak.  “Yeah,” Derek moaned, “Gonna make you come.  Come in me.  Mark me.”

            Stiles cried out, held Derek’s hips tighter and began driving up to meet his thrusts.  Derek let his mate take control of their pace for a bit.  He leaned forward and placed wet kisses against his throat.  The change in angle made Stiles brush against his prostate and Derek swore, “Fuck!  There Stiles, just like that!”

            So Stiles kept doing what he was doing, pistoning up into Derek at a fast pace.  “So good,” he murmured. 

            Derek tightened around Stiles making his hips stutter.  “Don’t stop!” Derek demanded.  Stiles planted his feet on the mattress and drove his hips up into Derek.  Derek growled, his eyes flared red and his fangs elongated.  Stiles’ hips stilled and he gaped at Derek in amazement. 

            Derek turned his face away, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t, mean—”

            Stiles grabbed Derek’s chin and forcefully turned it back to him, “Don’t you dare turn away from me.  You’re perfect,” he said and to prove his point Stiles pushed himself up and kissed Derek, fangs and all.  He drew his tongue carefully over the sharp canines, moaning at the feel of them.  “It’s okay,” he whispered against his lips, “I could never be afraid of you Derek.  It’s okay to let go.”

            So Derek let go; let the shift take over him, dug his claws into the headboard and howled as Stiles’ cock fucked up into his clasping hole, hit the bundle of nerves inside that had him rumbling and grinding down onto Stiles’ dick.  It wasn’t long like that before Derek could hear the telltale hitch in Stiles’ heartbeat.  “Yeah Stiles come.  Come for me.  Come _in_ me,” he pleaded.

            Stiles thrust up in four quick successions before his balls erupted and sent hot streams of semen deep into Derek.  Derek fucked himself down onto Stiles’ dick, retracted his claws and began stroking himself wildly.  It didn’t take much to rub himself into an explosive orgasm.  Derek pointed his cock down at Stiles and coated his chest and stomach with his hot sticky release.  When he came down from his high he rubbed his cooling spunk into Stiles’ skin.  Stiles just let him do it, knowing it was something that Derek needed.  He didn’t like the idea of someone questioning their bond any more than Derek.

            They laid in bed for an hour, Derek with his head pressed against Stiles’ stomach, listening to their cubs’ heartbeats.  Stiles scrubbed his fingers through his mate’s hair.  “I can’t wait for them to come,” Derek said with a wistful sigh.

            “You’re gonna be such a good Papa-wolf.”

            “Papa,” Derek repeated, testing it out.  “I like it,” he said with a grin.

            “That means I’ll be daddy,” Stiles grinned, having not thought about what their children would call them once they could speak.

            “You gonna make the best daddy,” Derek insisted.  “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up, Daddy.”

            In the shower Derek washed every nook and cranny of Stiles’ body.  Then he pressed him against the tiled wall and fucked him teasingly slow.  Stiles saw stars when he came.  His knees buckled and Derek had to hold onto his mate as he cleaned them up again.  Then he carried Stiles to the bedroom, dried them both, put Stiles to bed and left him to sleep.

 

            Derek rejoined the group as they were setting up the tables outside for dinner.  The scent of what he and Stiles had spent the last two hours doing permeated the air around Derek.  “You’ve never been one for subtle, huh, nephew?” Laura smirked as she passed him, patting his shoulder.  Derek only smirked in return.

            “Derek you didn’t overwork him, did you?” Kelley asked.

            “He’s fine.  I left him in bed to rest a while longer.”  Lindsey snorted at that, but a look from her father had her quieted quickly enough.

            “Derek you really shouldn’t be over taxing him in his condition,” Kelley scolded.  Derek just continued toting chairs with a smug grin on his face.

            Lindsey latched onto the conversation she had just heard and tried to figure out a way to use it against the human.  She didn’t care what her father said, Derek belong with her and she would do whatever it took to break the bond between them.

 

            When dinner was close to being complete, Derek sent Isaac to escort Stiles down to dinner.  They returned a short time later with Stiles riding Isaac piggyback.  He sat Stiles at the table next to Kelley who was already nursing Ollie.  “Wow Derek really?!” Kyle asked incredulously at the powerful smell of sex, come and just _Derek_ emanating from the boy.

            “It’s not really Derek you should be irritated with,” Stiles said, “I’m gonna go help in the kitchen.”

            “Hey, no heavy lifting,” Derek called.

            “Yes dear,” Stiles called back.

            Lindsey waited until no one was paying attention to her then sneaked off after Stiles.  She cornered him on the porch; his hands were full of baskets of bread.  “Oh God, you again.  Haven’t learned your lesson yet?”

            “I’ve learned quite a bit actually.  It seems I was right about you not being worthy of the alpha.  You’re weak…sick,” she said her voice taunting as she backed him against the side of the house.

            “You are dumber than you look,” Stiles taunted back, because clearly he had no sense of self-preservation if he was crazy enough to provoke a psychotic werewolf.  “You think because you overheard _part_ of a conversation that you know more than you actually do.  Well, let me enlighten you blondie, I am not weak or sick, but there is a reason Derek is so protective of me.”

            “I knew it!  You should let me put you out of your misery so that Derek can move on with a mate worthy of him,” she said flashing her claws at him.

            “Okay, but before you ‘scratch my eyes out’ take a good long sniff.  Get past all of the come and sex and tell me what you smell.”

            Humoring him, Lindsey sniffed deep and long.  When she finally came up for a clear breath her eyes were wild with disbelief, “That can’t be.”

            “No?  You don’t trust your sniffer?  That’s okay, take a listen and tell me, how many heart beats do you hear?”

            Lindsey growled in rage when she heard several heart beats coming from the human’s stomach region, “How can this be?”

            “Well I’m not really your average, everyday human.  And even if I was I’m still Derek’s mate; he doesn’t _want_ you.”

            Lindsey gave him an evil grin, “Oh no, I think it’s you he won’t be wanting once I’m finished with you.”

            “Oh fuck—Derek!” he squeaked before throwing the bread in her face, giving him a few seconds to close his eyes and brace himself.  Stiles was panicked and the only thing mattered was, “She won’t hurt my babies.  She _won’t_ hurt my babies.”  

            Stiles chanted it in his head over and over.  Unfortunately he forgot about the part where she wouldn’t hurt _him_.  She did.  She only got in one swiped of her claws toward his midsection.  It was enough to shred his hoody and open the flesh of one of his arms, which he had crossed over his stomach in an effort to shield his cubs.

            Stiles cried out in pain and then there was growling followed by the sound of breaking bones, yelping and whimpering.  He opened his eyes as he slid down the wall.  Derek was in his beta form with a clawed hand on Lindsey’s throat, teeth bared and snarling in her face.  She was bleeding from claw marks down her front and the arm she had used to claw Stiles was twisted at an unnatural angle.

            “Derek no,” Stiles breathed as he saw his mate poised to rip the she-wolf’s throat out.

 

            Apparently sensing his mate in distress gave Derek speed beyond even an alpha as it was several moments _after_ Derek had subdued Lindsey before Laura and Jesse arrived, followed by the other pack members.

            Jesse growled at the sight of Derek’s claws at his child’s throat.

            “Derek, what—oh my God Stiles!” Laura exclaimed and was rushing to him immediately.

            “I’m okay Aunt Laura,” he croaked, his voice weak.

            “No, you’re not.  Oliver call Carmen and Rain, get them out here right away.  Isaac, carry Stiles inside; Marco help him.”  When everyone began carrying out the tasks she had allotted them, “Derek, what happened?”

            “She attacked Stiles, tried to kill our cubs,” he growled.

            Everyone gasped. 

            “Cubs?”  Jesse queried, clearly confused.

            “Don’t ask me the details, but Stiles is very special.  He has the ability to carry Derek’s cubs.  Currently he’s carrying three and apparently your daughter just tried to rip them from his body,” Laura explained in a solemn tone.  “As alpha of this territory, I allow you to decide how you wish to deal with her Derek.  Personally…I’d rip out her throat with my teeth.”

            Derek snarled, his wolf reveling in the thought of ending her life.

            “Laura you can’t mean that!” Jesse cried.

            “Oh I mean it all right.  Your daughter attacked an alpha’s _pregnant_ mate.  What would you do if something like this occurred in your territory?”

            Jesse’s head dropped in despair, knowing that were it his territory and his pack that had been wronged, he would do the same, “I beg you for mercy on my daughter’s behalf alpha Hale.”

            Derek growled and tightened his grip on Lindsey’s neck momentarily before releasing her.  “You can thank Stiles for her life; he doesn’t want me to kill her,” Derek said as he stood.

            “Oh thank you alpha Hale,” Maddy said tearfully as she rushed to assist her child.

            “She can leave here with her life as long as she leaves now and never returns to Jones territory.  That is, only if you agree Aunt Laura.”

            Laura pondered for a moment before answering, “I’d say that’s more than fair.  Lindsey Williams, you are hereby banished from Jones territory until further notice.  Jesse, you are welcome to stay so that we can work on rebuilding the alliance that your child has all but destroyed.  Derek, go to your mate.”

            He didn’t have to be told twice.  He rushed inside and worried over Stiles.  He kissed him gently, thankful that he hadn’t been hurt worse.  Their cubs’ heartbeats were steady as ever.  The sight of the slashes on his mate’s arm caused Derek to shift into the wolf.  He climbed onto the sofa, resting on Stiles legs and began to lick at his wounds while they waited for Carmen and Rain to arrive. 

            “I’m all right Sourwolf,” Stiles murmured tiredly and used his uninjured hand to pet through Derek’s fur.

            And he was all right.  Upon examining him, Carmen could find nothing wrong other than the slashes on his arm, and even those were healing much more quickly than they should have been.  When everyone wondered how it was possible Rain explained that it was a combination of Stiles channeling magical energy to protect his cubs, the strong bond he had with his pack and the fact that at least one of their cubs was a werewolf and sharing their healing factor with Stiles.

            The pronouncement caught everyone off guard.  A cub’s genetics always remained undetermined until well after birth.  It was nature’s way of keeping balance.  If a werewolf could tell that their child had not inherited the werewolf gene, they could terminate the pregnancy and keep trying until they conceived a werewolf child.  Just the thought of such an atrocity turned the stomachs of most; however, there were those who didn’t believe humans—children or otherwise—belonged in werewolf packs and would abuse such knowledge were they to have it.  Those were the types of packs that made werewolves into the monsters humans thought them to be.

            Rain had a connection to Stiles and therefore to his unborn cubs.  She was unsure of which cub or how many, but at least one had inherited the lycanthropy gene.  Stiles smiled as he felt the happiness radiating from Derek.  The Hale pack would continue to grow and live on though Derek’s blood.  It wasn’t the same as having his family back, but it was more than enough to make Derek purr with happiness.

            _“Hey Sourwolf, you’re_ purring _.”_

_“Shut up Stiles.”_

***

_May…_

            Stiles’ belly had officially gone from barely there to, _“Holy God, I’m pregnant!”_   One day his stomach had a small, hardly noticeable bump, and the next, Stiles couldn’t button any of his pants.  This had prompted an emergency shopping trip where Derek expanded Stiles’ wardrobe with a few pairs of larger sized jeans and a lot of track pants.  The elastic just made sense. 

            Derek found Stiles standing in front of the mirror in their bedroom.  His pants were resting below his belly and his shirt was rucked up under his armpits to reveal his stretched skin.  He watched as Stiles’ fingers grazed over the expanse of his stomach.  Sensing he had an audience, Stiles looked up and caught Derek’s eyes in the mirror.  “It’s weird, huh?”

            Derek moved to stand behind Stiles and wrapped his arms around him to caress his tummy.  Shaking his head, “No, beautiful,” he murmured before pressing his nose into Stiles’ neck.

            Stiles chuckled, “If someone had told me that the Derek Hale I met after Scott was bitten would turn into a big furry ball of sap—” Derek silenced him but nipping at his neck.  Stiles groaned.  “Not complaining about the sap, Sourwolf.  I’m loving the affection,” he purred.

            “Now who’s purring?” Derek teased.

            Stiles spun in Derek’s arms and pressed their lips together in a sweet kiss.  He twined his arms around his mate’s neck and breathed in his musky scent.  “I love you,” he whispered against Derek’s lips before kissing him once more.  Derek responded by deepening the kiss.

            And then Stiles was pulling away from him with a gasp, “Did you feel that?!”  Stiles had been feeling the flutters of movement inside him for a little while now, but this was something else.

            “What?!  What’s wrong?” Derek asked panicked.

            Stiles took his hand and placed it against the side of his stomach just as the cubs shifted inside him again.  The look on Derek’s face rivaled that of the first time he had heard the first heartbeat.  “Stiles…” Derek was at a loss for words; he moved his other hand to Stiles’ belly and laughed happily as the cubs moved around a bit more.  “This is amazing Stiles,” he finally uttered, voice awed.

            When the babies stopped moving and Derek looked up at Stiles he frowned at the look of melancholy his mate was wearing, “What is it?”

            “I was just thinking my dad would get a kick out of this…well _after_ he freaked out about the fact that his _son_ was pregnant.”

            Derek felt guilt shoot through him.  Because of him, Stiles was unable to share such a big event with his father.  “Don’t go there Sourwolf.  I wouldn’t trade being here with you for anything.  And if I wasn’t here, our cubs wouldn’t exist.  Yes, it’s hard doing this without my dad and Scott—and Melissa, but I’ve got you, Isaac, Marco and an entire pack to share it with.  Besides, when we go home, Dad and Melissa will make up for lost time.  We probably won’t see much of our pups the first few weeks back in Beacon Hills,” he joked.

            “Thank you Stiles,” Derek said seriously.

            “For what?”

            “For everything you’ve done for me; for everything you do for me.”

            “For _us_ Derek.  Everything I do is for us and our pack.”

            Derek just wrapped his arms around Stiles, thankful that they had found one another.

***

_June…_

            Derek was sitting in the living room in a mild state of shock.  Marco was sitting across from him waiting for a response to his request to join Derek’s pack.  It wasn’t the request that had shocked him because the moment the boy asked, Derek had been transported back to a conversation that took place ten months prior.  Laura had advised that this would happen, Derek just hadn’t believed her.

            Marco’s expression shifted from hopeful to anxious when Derek took too long to reply and the alpha cleared his throat and finally spoke, “You’ve talked this over with your alpha?”

            Marco nodded fervently.  He had spoken with her two weeks earlier, explained his desire and begged her permission to be a part of Derek’s pack.  He had felt an instant connection with Stiles when they first arrived in Oregon and again with Isaac when he turned up a few weeks later.  More and more he experienced a physical and mental need to be around Derek and his pack.  During full moons his wolf hunted up treats to feed Stiles and the cubs; he always ran directly behind Isaac, who followed Derek.  He would always love the Jones family and would be forever grateful for the love and care they offered him in his time of need, but some time during the last several months his allegiance had shifted to Derek.  The wolf in him already viewed Derek as his alpha, now he just wanted to make it official.  Laura had approved of his decision and given her permission as long as he was positive it was what he wanted and Derek accepted his request.

            If that wasn’t an ego boost, Derek didn’t think he’d ever know one.  A born werewolf had willing shifted his allegiance from his family (adoptive, but family nonetheless) to _his_ pack.  It was true that Derek was technically family; however… Derek was almost at a loss for words.  He was pretty sure he had Stiles to thank for this addition to the pack, but either way it made his wolf sit up and preen proudly.  He hadn’t tricked, forced or stolen this new beta, the beta had _chosen_ him.

            Before Derek could get too comfortable patting himself on the back, he made certain that Marco was resolute in his decision.  He needed to have confidence in Marco’s understanding of what being Hale pack meant.  When the pack returned to Beacon Hills, Marco would go with them.  It would be a new territory, a new home, and other pack members, Peter—and Scott, who was slowly coming around if Peter’s reports were to be believed.  With Scott came Melissa and if Stiles has his way, his father would be pack within the first few hours of returning to Beacon Hills.

            “I understand Derek.  I know I’ll be at the bottom of the rung in the pack hierarchy—hell I already defer to Stiles.  And if you say no, I’ll follow you to Beacon Hills anyway,” the boy boldly admitted.

            Derek chuckled at that and was instantly reminded of Stiles.  He imagined that this was what Stiles would be like if he was a wolf.  “You care for them that much?” Derek mused.

            “Yes, but it’s not just them.  Derek you’re my hero.”  The statement and the sincerity behind it caught Derek off guard.  “I know all about what you’ve been through since the fire.  Maybe I wasn’t there to see it first hand, but I trust Isaac, Stiles and mom—Laura—to have told me the truth.  You’ve been through hell and back twice, yet you’re still standing.  You’re strong and you have Stiles and Isaac who gave up everything to be with you.  Why wouldn’t I want someone like that for my alpha?”

            “I’ve made mistakes—I’ll continue to make mistakes.”     

            “Derek my whole pack was slaughtered because my alpha trusted the word of a hunter; you think I don’t know about mistakes?!  You’re still alive to learn from them; I can learn from them.  And you’ve got Stiles to help you keep your head on straight,” he joked.

            Derek couldn’t help but smile at that.  If not for Stiles, Derek would probably be dead as would Scott and a larger portion of the Beacon Hills population.

            “I’ll be a good beta.  I’ll always follow—”

            “I have no doubt that you’ll be an excellent beta, Marco.  But are you sure you’ll be okay with relocating to Beacon Hills?  What about college?”

            “Stiles and Isaac are talking about commuting to Chico—or maybe community college to start.  Can’t I do that same?”

            “Yes, you can but—”

            Derek stopped when Marco dropped to his knees before him, “Alpha Hale, I swear my love and loyalty to you.”  He offered Derek his neck as a sign of not only submission, but of trust.  He trusted Derek to be the alpha he needed him to be.  The young alpha felt his heart swell and a lump formed in his throat.  In the back of his mind, he perceived that the pack bond had already begun forming and had no idea how he had missed it.

            Derek got to his knees before Marco and dragged his nose along the beta’s neck, breathing in the scent of Stiles and Isaac and… Derek could smell himself on Marco; the scent of the Hale alpha was more prominent than that of the Jones alpha.  Again he found himself surprised that this was the first he had noticed it.  Marco had sneaked his way into Derek’s pack right under the alpha’s nose. 

            Still astonished by what he had just discovered, Derek scented Marco; he rubbed his face against the boy’s collar bone, neck and face.  He licked a stripe behind his ear, planting his scent there before extending his fangs, pulling aside his shirt and plunging his teeth into the soft flesh of Marco’s shoulder.  The bite was symbolic; however, it also meant a little of Derek was now flowing into Marco.  When the first burst of coppery blood flooded his mouth, Derek felt lightning strike behind his eyes.  The pack bond he had detected before, which had been thin and weak, exploded with life, brightened and grew instantaneously.

            When Derek retracted his fangs, he threw his head back and released a howl.  It was a howl of pride, of celebration, and of welcome.  Marco followed suit and joined his new alpha with his own howl.  Seconds later Isaac’s voice joined them and then Stiles’ own pathetic attempt at howling sounded, signaling that they understood, approved and welcomed their new pack mate.

            That evening Derek and Stiles shared their bed with Isaac and Marco.  Again this act was more symbolic than anything as it was meant to be a way for the pack to scent Marco and welcome him to the pack.  However Marco, who had previously been considered an honorary member of their pack, already reeked of them.

            Over the next few days Isaac’s room was reconfigured to hold bunk beds and another dresser for Marco who had moved in to be closer to his pack.  The Jones pack, always looking for a reason to celebrate, held a party that weekend to celebrate Marco’s transition from the Joneses to the Hales.  With his mate, cubs on the way and two betas at his side, Derek felt like he could take on the world and conquer it.

***

_July…_

            “…Are you sure this is normal Carmen?” Stiles complained as he tried looking at her from over his belly, with no luck.

            Carmen laughed softly, “You _are_ carrying three babies, not one.  And from the looks they are three very healthy babies,” she said as she moved the wand across his jell covered belly until she found the best position.  She gestured to the monitor and pointed out each of his and Derek’s cubs.

            And just like that Stiles melted into the table, awed by the site of his babies on the screen, “How are their heartbeats?” he asked.

            “They’re fast, but steady and strong,” Derek answered before Carmen could adjust the audio and listen for herself.  She; however, agreed with Derek’s assessment.

            “But should I really be this… _large_?”

            Rain, who sat in on all of his check-ups now that he was in the last stage of his pregnancy answered, “Stiles you have three babies and three placentas in addition to your normal anatomy.”

            “She’s right Stiles, and quite frankly you should be thankful you’re not bigger.  You still have good mobility and minimal swelling in your legs.  I’d say all things considered your comfort level could be much worse.”

            “Yeah, at least you’re not puking anymore,” Derek tried to be positive, but Stiles only glared at him.

            “Next time you can be the one who gets pregnant,” he retorted.

            “Next time, huh?” Derek grinned.

            “That’s a great idea Stiles.  I think it only fair that when you’re ready to expand your family that Derek be the one to do it,” Rain suggested.

            “Can…can we do that?” Derek’s question was a cross between hopeful and skeptical.

            “It’s all magic boys, anything is possible,” she grinned, “But why don’t we wait until you’ve got a handle on the triplets before you start talking about more.”

 

            Later that evening, Stiles was propped on a mountain of pillows on the sofa while Derek massaged his calves and feet.  Isaac and Marco had prepared them dinner in the cabin as Stiles hadn’t been feeling up to a large family meal.  The duo went to the main house under the pretense of wanting dessert, but Derek and Stiles both knew Isaac would do whatever he could to have a few moments in the same room as Carla.  “I’d like at least two more,” Derek murmured as his fingers worked over Stiles’ instep.

            “Huh?”

            “Kids.  I’d like at least five all together—if that’s something you’d be okay with,” Derek added quickly.

            Stiles only smiled over at him, “There were five of you?”

            Derek nodded.  Laura was the oldest Hale sibling followed by Derek, Cora, Parker and Emma.  Emma was human and the one sibling that didn’t drive Derek insane.  It was like a physical ache losing his family, but losing Emma hurt the most.  Because she was sweet and innocent and loving and if anyone deserved to survive the fire, it was her.  She and Derek favored the Hales with their jet black hair, ever-changing eyes, strong jaws, and caterpillars for eyebrows—Emma’s description, not his.  She followed Derek around almost the same way Laura had their aunt.  And she only needed to bat her eyes at him and Derek was at her mercy.

            “I hope I can give you that again,” Stiles murmured softly as his hands moved over his belly. 

            Derek nodded unwilling to speak for fear of falling apart.  When he hand a handle on his emotions, “If one of them is a girl…” he let the sentence trail off, unable to finish, but also knowing Stiles understood him.

            “I think Emma’s a great name,” he assured his mate, “I swear a big ball of fluff,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

            “Shut up Stiles.”  But there was no heat behind Derek’s words.

***

_August…_

            Stiles still had over a month left to go before the babies were due—thirty-eight days and counting!  C-Day couldn’t get there fast enough.  C for cesarean, which was how the babies would make their way into the world, since his body changes stopped at creating a womb, and (thankfully) skipped adding a birth canal to his anatomy.  The pack was currently celebrating Isaac and Carla’s announcement that they were promised to one another.  There was a promise ring and everything.  While both alphas and parents had accepted and approved, they requested that the couple wait until they were both college graduates before they considered having children _and_ that Isaac was a high school graduate before they had a mating ceremony.  Neither teen had issue with that as they weren’t close to being ready for parenthood.  Also, Isaac wanted to have a legal wedding ceremony in addition to their mating ceremony; they both needed to be eighteen for that.  Carla was already eighteen and had graduated; and was planning to take a year off and work so that she and Isaac could start college together.

            There was one more reason for the celebration.  Carla had decided to take the bite and she asked that Derek be the one to give it to her.  While Derek was honored, he was also confused.  Surely she would want her mother and alpha to be the one to give her the gift.  But no; mating with Isaac meant that Carla was going to become Hale pack.  To her it wouldn’t feel right unless Derek, who was going to be her alpha, gave her the bite.  Besides, her mom would always be her mom.

            Laura teased Derek playfully that he was singlehandedly stealing away her children one by one.  Presently, the young alpha was in somewhat of a daze that people actually wanted _him_ for their alpha when Laura was their other option.

            Meanwhile, Stiles had been cranky since the start of the day.  His ankles were swollen, his back ached and his stomach felt like it would split open and his cubs would come spilling out at any moment.  And the cubs were restless.  They moved around throwing knees and elbows at his ribs all day.  He was feeling nauseated, so there was no enjoying the large variety of food spread along the picnic tables.  If he wasn’t trying to catch a nap, he was begging for tummy rubs, which seemed to be the only thing that settled the cubs.  But when they settled they pressed on his bladder, and then he was begging for an escort to the bathroom nearly every hour.  And once he got up and started moving, the cubs started their acrobatics once more.  He had been having contractions on and off for the whole of the afternoon.  He wasn’t worried because Carmen had explained that it was common this far into pregnancy.  It was just annoying.  He didn’t mention it to Derek because he (along with the whole of the combined packs) would have pestered him about it all day.  And if Derek didn’t ask, Stiles wasn’t telling.

            He was irritated by the fact that he needed an escort everywhere he went.  He was a natural born klutz and being pregnant only exacerbated it.  He was unsteady on his feet and didn’t have the dexterity to catch himself from falling.  Stiles was so tired he felt like collapsing by the time he waddled to where he was going.  And yeah, he _waddled_.  _Oh did he waddle!_  

            Stiles scowled at the look of adoration on Derek’s face as he shuffled toward the clearing.  One hand was on the small of his back while the other rested under his belly, his unconscious effort to keep his babies from tumbling out of him.  Marco had his elbow and Isaac walked slightly ahead, ready to throw himself beneath Stiles if he should fall.

            They shepherded Stiles to a chaise lounge that was overflowing with pillows and had a large umbrella shading it.  There, Derek was waiting to help ease Stiles down onto it.  After adjusting the pillows to his mate’s liking, Derek offered him a loving kiss.  “How are you feeling?”

            Stiles went with a usual complaint to keep from lying to his mate, “Hot, swollen and ready to pop.”

            Derek laughed as Stiles hoped he would, “Not too much longer,” he said brushing his fingers over his forehead.  “You relax; let Isaac and Marco know if you need anything.”

            “O—kay!” he stammered.

            The smile dropped from Derek’s face, “What is it?”

            “Just a contraction—the practice kind that Carmen told us about, nothing serious.”

            “You’re sure?”

            “Just a little annoying is all.  You go make yourself a new beta,” he smiled making shooing motions with his hands.

            Derek hesitated for several moments before brushing another kiss across Stiles’ forehead and moving to where Laura, Isaac and Carla were waiting for him.

            Stiles watched as Derek once again made sure that Carla was positive she wanted the bite from Derek.  She agreed and pledged her love and loyalty to Derek and his pack, promising to be a good beta.  Derek scented her as he had done Marco, then laid her flat in the grass and bit her side.  Derek put all of his intent into the bite.  He poured in his love and loyalty, as well as his desire to be a strong and capable alpha, to be a protector and to give her a safe haven always.  Carla cried out at the bite and Isaac was there to hold her hand and soothe her.  Everyone cheered, all confident that the bite would take and before long they would be welcoming a new wolf to the pack.

            After getting Carla bandaged up the party continued.  Stiles tried to nap in the chaise and succeeded for a while before a stabbing pain woke him.  His groan had Derek at his side instantly, “What’s wrong?”

            “I don’t think these are practice contractions anymore,” Stiles’ voice was strained.

            “What?!”

            “I’m pretty sure the babies are coming.”

            “What?  No we’ve still got over a month before they’re due,” Derek exclaimed, panic eminent.

            “Yeah, about that…”

            Carmen had informed him, in confidence, that in cases of multiple births it was very rare to make it to full term, especially with three or more babies.  It wasn’t guaranteed that the babies would come early, especially when dealing with werewolf genetics and all of the magic flowing through Stiles, but she had wanted Stiles to be prepared.  They didn’t tell Derek because he was already a basket case where Stiles’ health was concerned, prior knowledge to the possibility of premature labor would have likely sent him off the rails.

            “You kept that from me?!”

            “Derek, enhance your calm,” Laura said and placed a calming hand on her nephew’s shoulder.  “You have to stay calm, because your mood—”

            “—affects the pack,” Derek finished Laura’s sentence.  “Okay,” he breathed deeply, “Marco go call Carmen, let her know the babies are coming and she needs to get here now.  Aunt Laura can you contact Rain?”

            “Of course,” she nodded reaching for her phone.

            “Isaac,” he paused looking at Isaac who was torn between wanting to continue nuzzling Carla and wanting to take care of Stiles.  Derek knew this would be the first time he really had to make a decision regarding what was most important to the pack.  Carla was the daughter of an alpha, who came from a long line of alphas, who was bitten by an alpha of the same bloodline.  She would be fine.  The bite would take and she would soon experience her first full moon.  Stiles…Stiles took precedence because he was about to birth cubs.  “I need you to help me get Stiles to the cabin,” he softly commanded.

            Isaac didn’t hesitate.  He released Carla’s hand and rushed forward to help his alpha transport his mate to their den.  Carmen had ordered and set up equipment in the cabin weeks ago.  As much as she would prefer to deliver the babies at the clinic, she knew the pack would never be comfortable with that.  And it wasn’t as though they could bring the heavily pregnant boy into town.

            When Isaac and Derek finally got Stiles to the cabin, his body was wracked with another set of contractions.  It was all Derek could do to keep from whining low in his throat.  The sound of his mate in pain did horrible things to him.  He placed a hand on Stiles’ skin and drained some of the pain from him, releasing him when Stiles’ seemed to catch his breath and relax somewhat.  Marco came in to inform Derek that Carmen was on her way, and that he should get himself and Stiles changed into the scrubs she had left for them.  Marco and Isaac had been tasked with wheeling in the equipment she would need, including the hospital bed that would double as an operating table.

            Derek moved as quickly as Stiles’ contractions would allow.  Carla helped him strip Stiles and get him into his surgery gown, then helped transfer him into the hospital bed.  With the extra bed and equipment it was a tight squeeze in the bedroom and everyone had to hover in the hall and doorway.  Derek went to the bathroom and washed up with antibacterial soap as Carmen had instructed and then began changing into his scrubs.  Stiles cried out in agony and Derek’s vision went red.  He had to take several deep breaths to reign in the panic and instruct Marco to help his mate with the pain.  It was unnecessary as both Isaac and Marco were at his sides, holding his hands and draining the pain when fresh waves coursed through him.  Stiles thanked them softly and each brushed their noses along his temple, letting him know that thanks weren’t needed, that they were there to comfort and protect him.

            Carmen and Rain arrived together and just in time for Stiles’ labor to kick into high gear.  Rain was there to help him to focus so that he could channel the right amount of energy to keep himself and his cubs safe.  While they were doing this Carmen administered an anesthetic and prepped him for surgery.  Derek was there holding his hand and crying tears of joy as each of their children were delivered. 

            First was Elijah who surprised everyone with enough lung capacity to squeal when he came into the world.  He was tiny, but that was expected.  Carmen handed him off to Laura who had been instructed on how to clean him and check his vitals.

            “We have a son Stiles,” Derek whispered through his tears, “You’re doing so good baby,” he urged.

            Second was Liam who didn’t make the noise his brother had, but he squirmed in Carmen’s hands as she handed him to Kelley to clean him and checked his vitals.  Like his brother he was tiny, but seemed healthy.

            “It’s another boy,” Derek whispered, pressing a kiss to Stiles’ temple.

            “I can’t hear him.  Is he okay?”

            “He’s fine Stiles, I promise,” Kelley assured as she took hold of Elijah so that her mother-in-law could care for Liam.

            “One more time Stiles,” Carmen said from beyond the sheet that was blocking his view.  “How are you feeling?”

            “I’ll be better when I can hold my daughter,” he murmured.

            Carmen laughed, “You sound pretty confident.” 

            Stiles had been saying for weeks that they would have a daughter; that he could just feel it.  And he was right.       Emma was the last born.  She was a little smaller than her brothers, but she had a much bigger voice.  Stiles cried with joy when he heard her, “It’s a girl, right?”

            Derek nodded tearfully, “It’s a girl Stiles—she’s beautiful.”

            “Emma,” he murmured tiredly.

 

            Everything after that was a blur.  Carmen made sure everything was in order before closing Stiles up.  Rain urged him to consciously conserve his energy.  The magic his spark attracted would enhance his healing, but without the added werewolf healing he had during his pregnancy.

            When Stiles was cleaned, bandaged and medicated, Carmen did a preliminary check of the infants.  They were all extremely healthy for preemies, but she assumed it had something to do with them all being werewolves.  They were each four pounds (give or take a few ounces), which was common, and she suspected they would grow quickly.  They needed constant care and monitoring for the first few days.  She had volunteered to close the clinic for a few days to stay with them in case they needed her for anything.

            “I need to be honest; this is a very dangerous time for them.  If they make it through the next few days without problems, I think they’ll be fine.”

            “I need my babies,” Stiles said suddenly, “I need to touch them; it’ll help.”

            “Stiles is right, even as infants werewolves are tactile.  Touch is healing for us.  Being touched by their parents and surround by their pack,” Laura smiled confidently, “these babies will be just fine.”

            So they helped Stiles lower the gown to bare his chest and laid each of the infants on his skin.  Derek squeezed into the bed next to him and rested his head on Stiles’ shoulder.  They both looked down at their sleeping children, touching and caressing their soft, warm skin while the pack watched on.

            “I can never thank you enough for them Stiles.  Never.”

            “Ditto.  We’re even Sourwolf.”

            One small look from Derek and Isaac, Marco and Carla surrounded them lending their strength and love as a pack to their newest pack mates.

            For the first days the pack stayed holed up in the cabin, each taking a turn watching over the babies while the others slept.  The wolves could hear any little change in their breathing or heartbeats.  They often knew when they would be waking before the tell-tale sound of crying.

            As Laura predicted, the babies flourished.  Their weight increased practically overnight and they kept the pack busy and tired with a continuous flow of feedings and diaper changes.  None of them minded as their bond as a pack grew even stronger because of the triplets.

***

_No destination_

_I have found the calm inside the storm_


	3. Worries And Fears Have No Gravity Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles return to Beacon Hills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a long journey that was at times not fun at all. Despite the writer’s block, general lack of motivation and real life getting in the way of finishing this story in a timely manner, I’ve enjoyed writing it and sharing it with such kind and patient people. Thanks to everyone who encouraged and gave praises when needed. And a special thanks to everyone who stuck with me through this seemingly never-ending journey to the end. This story is officially finished. I cannot promise that I will continue the series, but then again, I can’t promise that I won’t. However, I do promise that any future stories will be one-shots so there will be no waiting a year or more for an updates.
> 
> Thanks to [laurawithoutsound](http://laurawithoutsound.tumblr.com/), [gabby227](http://gabby227.tumblr.com/), and [wolfish-willow](http://wolfish-willow.tumblr.com/) for beta’ing, proofing, and offering constructive criticism and suggestions. Your help has been greatly appreciated and I probably would have never gotten this posted without it.

 

**Chapter Three: Worries And Fears Have No Gravity Here**

                         

_August 2013…_

            John Stilinski didn’t know if the news was exciting or not, but he had just learned of the permits Derek Hale had recently obtained to begin demolition of the old Hale house to make way for the construction of a new structure.  It gave him hope that Stiles might be home by the time building was complete.  However, he wasn’t sure.  And he didn’t know what their relationship would be once he did come home.  It was beyond evident that any move he made against Derek would cost him his son.  But John didn’t know if he could ignore the fact that the man had stolen his son from him.

            Melissa was a godsend.  She stood by him, supported him, and loved him.  She advised him that he needed to look at things from their point of view, that what he thought and felt didn’t matter when it came to Stiles’ love life.  “The heart wants what the heart wants,” she had told him.  Cliché though it was, it was true.  Nothing and no one would have kept him from marrying Claudia.  And now with Melissa; even if Scott and/or Stiles didn’t approve…John wasn’t sure he would give her up.

            She also reminded him that Derek loved Stiles and made him happy.  All of the emails and pictures were evidence.  Even the few phone calls he had been gifted with, John couldn’t deny the tone of contentedness in Stiles’ voice.  So it looked like he would have to find a way to get past his feelings and accept Derek as… God, Hale was basically his son-in-law!  That would take some getting used to.  He would have a talk with Derek about the two of them having a proper—or rather, legal wedding.  John deserved to see Stiles get married to the love of his life.

            Feeling lighter now that he had a goal to work toward—accepting Derek Hale as family—John felt happiness flow through him when he saw a new email from Stiles.  It was a blank email with an attachment.  Normally John would wonder about the lack of communication, however it had been a while since his son had last emailed and he couldn’t wait to see what antics they had gotten up to this time.

            He opened the picture and gasped, not sure what to make of it.  Stiles and Derek were snuggled together on the bed with three infants between them.  They were both smiling brightly and staring lovingly down at... _their children_!

            It was a birth announcement sharing their addition of three little miracles with John. 

            His son was the 17-year-old father of triplets?!

            He was a grandfather.

            Stiles was a father.

            _Stiles was a father!_

 ***

  _September 2013…_

            John was having dinner with Scott and Melissa to celebrate Stiles turning 18 when he got the call.  His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the blocked number pop up on his caller I.D.  He knew it was Stiles.  “Stiles?” he asked emotion evident in his voice.

            “Hey dad.  Before you say anything, I know the email was a chicken shit way to break the news, but I couldn’t actually send pictures of me pregnant—aw fuck,” he groaned when he realized what he had just let slip.  That was definitely something he had wanted to talk about in person.

            Scott choked on his food, having heard everything Stiles had just said.  “Did…did you just say pregnant?” John asked with more calm than he felt.

            “Yeah, so funny thing about a spark and an alpha werewolf mating…”

 ***

             Weeks later John was still reeling from the news that he was not only a grandfather, but that his son had _birthed_ the babies.  _His son._   He was beginning to wish he had just allowed Derek and Stiles their relationship because from the sound of it, had they been in Beacon Hills, the children would never have come about.  But as he looked at the pictures of Stiles kissing Emma, and Derek beaming at Liam, and Isaac holding Elijah covered in spit-up, he had to retract that last thought.  Though he had never met them, held them, or even seen them in person, John knew he could never regret the birth of his grandchildren.  He looked forward to the day when his sons—that would take a lot of getting used to—brought them home.

            For now he kept tabs on any permits that needing pushing through, and stopped by the old Hale house periodically to check on the progress of the demolition.

            “Hey Mel, Stiles sent new pictures of the babies,” John said happily as he turned his laptop so that she could get a clear view of the screen.

            Melissa smiled and cooed at the picture of three naked babies sharing a bath.  Derek was on his knees in front of the tub, wet and laughing.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look quite so happy,” she murmured.

            “Yeah, fatherhood will do that to you,” John said as he turned the screen back to himself and prepared to write a response to the email.

            “True, but I’m sure it’s not just the babies that have him smiling like that.  It’s love.”

            John frowned at her before turning his attention back to his computer.  “Remember you’re supposed to be working on your perception of Derek so that when he actually gets here, you’ll have an easier time accepting him as your son’s life-partner,” Melissa reminded.

            “Yeah, yeah, I know.  Easier said than done,” John grumbled.

            “Hey if Scott can move past Peter’s past transgressions and trust him to teach him about being a werewolf and pack, then you can accept the fact that Derek is a good man even if Stiles chose him over you—temporarily.”

            John didn’t respond, only pondered her words, knowing she was right even if he couldn’t verbally admit it. 

***

             “…And why are we doing this again?” Scott asked, nose scrunched up in disgust as he handled the soiled tee shirt Peter had just pulled from a Ziploc bag.

            “Werewolf 101, one of our most important defenses is our ability to scent things.  And not just the obvious like blood, sweat…other bodily fluids.  We can scent out certain emotions—”

            “Like jealousy?” Scott interrupted, remembering the day in the locker room when he had smelled his teammates’ jealousy at his promotion to co-captain.

            “Yes, but we can also smell fear, anxiety, deceit.”

            “We can smell when someone is lying?”

            “I can, because I was taught to hone my senses.  The easiest way to learn the scent of deceit is when you _hear_ someone lying to you, pay attention to their scent.  Some people can keep their heart rate steady, but they can’t control the hormones they exude.”

            “And what is this?” he asked looking down at the shirt in his hand.

            Peter explained that some werewolf knowledge was instinctual.  It was immediately ingrained in him when the bite took and began turning him.  The knowledge was locked away inside his mind and Peter was going to teach him how to access it at will and not just on a full moon or when his emotions were running high—like the day in the locker room all those months ago.  He had known they were jealous because it was so close to the full moon and the wolf in him was as close to the surface as it could get without shifting.

            It was slow going for them.  Scott was great at fighting and controlling his anger, but when it came to abilities that took mental concentration and patience, they often eluded him.  Peter quickly understood Derek’s initial frustration with the boy.  Scott had a hard time taking instruction.   He had a worse time focusing on anything that wasn’t related to Allison, especially now that she was semi-back in his life.  She was all he could think about most of the time. 

            The older werewolf finally found a way to use it to his advantage.  Peter explained that Chris Argent would never let Allison near Scott if he didn’t think the beta had full control over himself and his abilities.  “If you’re a dedicated student, you could learn control more quickly.  This will help you to re-establish your friendship with Allison, and where that renewed friendship leads...”  Peter also conveyed that if Scott didn’t prove that he was committed to being a loyal beta—willing to do what it took to become pack when Derek and Stiles returned—he could very well lose any chance he had at getting his best friend back.

            It was enough to get him focused.  Once he realized all that Peter could and would teach him, Scott maintained focus all on his own.  The beta began to look forward to his lessons and patrols with Peter.  He even listened to the older beta’s stories of life before the fire, of Laura and Derek competing to be the next in line for alpha, of a happy and trusting Derek who used to laugh and smile and dote on his little sister Emma; of a time when things were happy and all was well in Beacon Hills.  These stories gave Scott much to think about.  They helped him see how selfish he had been in the past.  Scott now understood how badly his betrayal had hurt Derek and Stiles.  The lessons also helped him understand why Stiles loved Derek enough to run away with him.  Before the fire, Derek had been happy and outgoing.  That version of him was still there, buried deep; Stiles had just taken the time to dig in and find him.  Learning about Derek’s past gave him hope that they could one day become the brothers Derek had wanted them to be from the beginning.

_November 2013…_

            Stiles rolled over and groped for Derek, but only felt cold sheets beneath his hand.  With a yawn and stretch he pushed himself up on his forearms and looked around for Derek.  He found him exactly where he expected, standing over the crib looking down at their cubs.  “Derek?” he whispered hoarsely.

            “Go back to sleep,” Derek whispered without bothering to look at him.

            “Not likely,” he grumbled as he untangled himself from the sheets and threw his legs over the side of the bed.  He took a few seconds to rub the sleep from his eyes, stretch his neck and roll his ankles to get the blood flowing in his feet and legs, and then he stood and joined Derek at the crib.  Stiles pressed a hand to the small of Derek’s back and leaned his head against his shoulder.  He looked down at their sleeping children and sighed happily.  “Everything okay?”

            Derek nodded, “Emma stirred in her sleep.”

            This wasn’t the first time he had awakened to find Derek staring at the cubs, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.  The alpha had confessed to often dreaming that they were a dream; that he got up in the morning and they were gone.  It was more like a nightmare than a dream because he woke up sweating and panting with tears in the corners of his eyes.  Nights like that usually ended with the babies in the bed with them.  Stiles didn’t mind because he took any excuse to be close to them, but he also understood how much having them meant to Derek—to both of them.

            They weren’t just family—Isaac, Marco and Carla were family—the babies were of their shared blood.  Derek felt more pressure than ever to become a good alpha.  Now he also needed to balance that with becoming a good father.  And though Stiles had assured them that he was likely more of a father to Isaac than anyone had been, it wasn’t the same.  There were things, events that had shaped Isaac in a way Derek never could.  He would be partially responsible for shaping their children into the adults they would grow into.  Derek never understood what it meant to be an alpha more than he did at this very instant.

            Having them, holding them, seeing their first smiles, it made the loss of his family more poignant.  But because of his responsibility to them, Derek vowed not to let the loss cripple him any longer.  He would be everything for his children, he would make sure they had as many happy memories as possible, he would share stories of the family they would never get to meet, and he would make sure that they never had a reason to doubt his love or devotion as a father and an alpha.  Derek would make sure that they never felt like they needed to get love or affection from outsiders—that they never felt the need to hide things from him.  His family had been good and loving, but it was big and sometimes one kid’s problems had to take a temporary backseat for another’s.  He had never felt neglected or unloved, but there were times when he had wished that he could _always_ come first.  Derek worried that he would never find a way to balance it.

            Stiles not so subtly reminded him that he was not a single parent.  He would forego a career and become a stay-at-home dad if it made Derek feel better, but he vowed that his children would never want for anything.  They had Isaac and Marco who both yearned for familial ties more than anything.  They would be devoted and loving brothers/uncles.  Carla had already shown what an asset she was to the pack.  She took her babysitting duties very seriously and had bonded with the cubs very early on.  Stiles also reminded him that they would have more family in Beacon Hills.  Sure his dad had made a mistake by forbidding Stiles to be with Derek, but he was just doing what he thought was best for his son.  John was a _great_ dad, and would be an even better grandfather.  They would have a grandmother in Melissa and uncles in Scott and Peter.  The cubs would grow up smothered with love, and protected with the very lives of every pack member. 

            “I just don’t want to mess up,” Derek said softly.

            “Of course we’re going to mess up, Derek.  Parents mess up.  We’ll learn from our mistakes and move on to the next crisis.  Our kids won’t grow up to hate us; how could they, we’re awesome!”

            Derek laughed softly at that.  He knew Stiles was right, but there were still times when it was hard for him to believe that he could be a good parent and that he wouldn’t destroy this new family like he had his last family.

            “Since you’re up, why don’t you come make love to me before we have to start cooking for a pack of hungry werewolves?”

            Stiles didn’t have to ask twice.

_Thanksgiving…_

            Stiles was anxious about having his very first Skype call with his father.  He had all three cubs on his lap when he nervously placed the call.  His heart lurched when his father’s bright blue eyes and wide smile filled the screen.  “Hey daddy,” he murmured.

            John opened his mouth several times before words finally formed, “My God, they’re beautiful, Stiles.”

            Stiles smiled proudly, “They take after their daddy.”

            John arched an eyebrow at him, “Which one?”

            Stiles frowned and stuck his tongue out at his father.  “Yeah they all look like Derek, but Emma has my eyes, see,” he said, awkwardly pointed to the baby in the middle.  “Say hi to PopPop Emma.” 

            Emma only cooed and gnawed at her fingers, but it was as good as her saying, “Hi PopPop,” as far as John was concerned.  “She has your nose too,” John pointed out, doing his damnedest to keep the tears at bay.

            “Yeah she does.  She’s gonna be a heartbreaker,” Stiles bragged and then went on to officially introduce the children to their grandfather.

            Elijah, the oldest and largest of the triplets was on his left.  He was growing and advancing faster than his siblings and made Derek think he would be the competitive one of the bunch.  Liam was the best behaved cub.  He barely cried or fussed when it was time to eat or be changed.  Emma was a princess in every way.

            “Are they all…werewolves?”

            “It’ll be another couple of months before we know for sure, but Derek’s almost certain Elijah is a wolf.”

            “And if they’re human?”

            “Then Derek will be even more protective of them than he is now.  And when they’re older they’ll have the choice to take the bite or remain human.  Dad, I know the werewolf thing still freaks you out, but it’s not as big a deal as you may think.  There were human children in Derek’s family—we named Emma after his human sister.”

            The look on the sheriff’s face went from concerned to horrified.

            “Dad I know it scares you, but because of Kate Argent, we’re all the more alert to the evil in the world.  We’re prepared to protect the pack…”

            Stiles explained that Derek was learning everything he could from his aunt and that Stiles was learning even more from Rain.  He now knew of protection spells, runes that would be carved into the base of their new home to repel fire and people with ill intentions.  He was learning barrier spells to protect the woods surrounding the house.

            “—so you _are_ coming back?  The permits and construction going on at the Hale house isn’t Peter’s doing?”

            “Dad—” before he could finish Elijah burped and then spit-up down the front of himself and Stiles’ leg, “Crap—Derek! I got a puking baby!” he called.

            Within seconds Derek was there with a cloth cleaning up the vomit that had pooled in Stiles’ lap.  He was grinning and whispering to Elijah, “That’s what happens when you inhale your bottle pup.”

            “Hello, Derek,” John said.

            Derek’s head whipped around to stare at him with wide eyes, “Sheriff,” he said guardedly.

            John chuckled, “You’re cleaning up my grandson’s puke, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to call me John.”

            “Right, uh, John.  Happy Thanksgiving?”

            “Same to you.  I see you’ve been taking good care of my boy.”

            “I…”

            “Dad!”

            “What?  It’s not like I’m going to pretend everything is normal.  It’s not going to be easy, but I realize if I want you in my life, and if I ever hope to know my grandkids, I have to accept that Derek is a part of the package.  _And_ I was being serious about him taking good care of you.  I’ve never see you looking happier or healthier.”

            “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him that way,” Derek said earnestly as he took a squirming Elijah from Stiles’ full arms.

            “So I’m learning.”

            Melissa joined the conversation, greeting both Stiles and Derek with virtual hugs and kisses and then proceeded to coo and gush over the babies for five straight minutes.  Derek quickly forgot his unease when Melissa began taking note of the babies’ growth and how they had changed since the last set of pictures.  He spouted out the facts of their weight and development like the proud papa he was.  John couldn’t help but relate; he remembered how much he liked to brag about Stiles when he was given the opportunity.

            And then Scott was there practically squealing with excitement over not only getting to see Stiles, but, “I have nephews!” he said, brown eyes gleaming with love.

            “ _And_ a niece.  Emma is every bit a princess, and I’m pretty sure she will be smarter and scarier than Lydia Martin ever could be.”

            “You can tell already?”

            “I just have a feeling,” Stiles smiled and Scott beamed back at him.

            “It’s good to see you bro… And you too Derek,” Scott acknowledged the alpha—his alpha—for the first time since his betrayal.

            “Hello Scott.  Peter tells me your training is going very well.”

            “It is; he’s a surprisingly good teacher.”

            Derek smiled softly, “He is.  He taught me a lot growing up.  I’m sure there’s still plenty left for me to learn from him.  Has—”

            “He’s been great.  It was hard to accept at first, but I really believe that he’s trying to make amends.  And after spending so much time with him recently, I kinda get why he did what he did.  He’s actually pretty cool when he’s not being a sarcastic asshole—he kinda reminds me of you, Stiles.”

            “Oh you’re hilarious.”

            “Oh, speaking of, I have a surprise,” Scott said and turned his face from the camera.  He motioned to someone off camera and seconds later—

            “Peter?”

            “Hello nephew dear, Stiles.  Scott was kind enough to invite me for dinner.  Melissa and John were gracious enough to make good on the invitation.  Now, let’s have a better look at my grandniece and nephews.”

            Derek and Stiles showed off the babies without much urging.  Peter proclaimed their flawless beauty, but of course, they were after all Hales. 

            “Stilinski-Hales,” Derek corrected.

            Peter only rolled his eyes, “I can clearly see the Stilinski in Princess Emma.  She’ll be quite the beauty.”

            “Oh my God!” Stiles exclaimed, “How is she your favorite already?!”

            “I never play favorites, tell him Derek.”

            “ _I_ was his favorite,” Derek stated matter-of-factly and Peter scoffed.

            Stiles laughed as the conversation veered all over the place.  It sort of made sense to Stiles that Derek was Peter’s favorite.  After killing Laura, Peter could have easily killed Derek—he had the chance on several occasions that Stiles had witnessed.  But he never more than bruised his body and ego.  When he resurrected himself he could have easily killed Derek and taken his alpha powers while he was vulnerable, but he didn’t.  Sure he prodded and provoked Derek, but the worse thing he had done to Derek was when he killed Laura.  That in and of itself was horrendous, but when it came to Derek himself, he could never finish the job.  Stiles had to believe that meant Derek held a place in Peter’s heart that not even six years trapped in a coma could erase.  It helped him to believe that Peter truly meant to do right by Derek and the pack.

            When they ended the call, Stiles’ heart was lighter than he expected.  Maybe it was because he was really beginning to believe that he could have it all.

            At dinner, the babies were all passed around and Stiles ended up with Ollie, who adored him.  Derek was thankful that Stiles loved him enough to endure pregnancy and raise three babies at once.  Stiles was thankful to be a parent to his three beautiful children.  Marco was thankful for being welcomed into the pack.  Carla was thankful to Derek for bringing Isaac to her.  Isaac was thankful for Carla and the extended family he gained from loving her, and he was thankful for the chance to be an older brother to the three cubs around the table.  He was thankful for Derek seeing something in him that made him worthy enough to receive the bite.  Laura was thankful for Stiles; he had helped to heal her nephew and returned him to the family as well as bringing himself, Isaac and the triplets into the fold.  And then Elijah grabbed for a glass and dumped iced tea into Isaac’s lap.

_December…_

            John was in awe at his grandchildren’s development in the month since their first Skype session.  They were on their bellies scooching around the floor.  At this point _everyone_ was convinced they were all werewolves.  They were developing much faster than normal.  He looked forward to the day when he got to hold them and spoil them properly.  Melissa informed them that they were stealing the babies the first week they were back in Beacon Hills.  Stiles and Derek understood that her threat was completely serious.

            Even though Peter was keeping him up to date on every stage of development regarding tearing down the old house, John was always eager to inform Derek of the latest.  The old structure had been fully demolished and the last remnants of the house had been cleared away this week.  After the New Year, the team would begin laying the groundwork for the new house.  Though the house would belong to Derek and Stiles, John was the most excited regarding the progress.  Each stage of the rebuild was like checking off a day on the calendar that was counting down to Stiles’ return to Beacon Hills. 

            Since their first session, John had insisted on Skyping at least once a week, and more when they could squeeze it in.  During many of those sessions, John and Derek talked alone because Stiles was off at a lesson with Rain, or he was caring for the cubs.  Over the conversations and the behaviors he witnessed, John was gaining a grudging respect for the man that had essentially stolen his child from him.  It pained him to admit that Derek hadn’t actually stolen Stiles—his heart perhaps, but not the boy himself.  Stiles had gone with Derek willingly.  As much as John wanted it to be false, he knew that the truth of the matter was that Stiles had run away with Derek, not been kidnapped.

            “…So, when you’re back in Beacon Hills—where you belong—you’re going to do the right thing and make an honest man out of my son, aren’t you?”

            Derek froze at John’s sudden question.  Just moments ago they had been talking about the beginning of construction on the house and now, he was what?  Asking for a proposal on Stiles’ behalf?  “Um…”

            “Don’t you want to marry my son?”

            “Technically we _are_ married,” Derek said matter-of-factly.

            “Yes, but in the eyes of the law—”

            “Pack law overrides the laws of man, but yes, I would marry Stiles in a more ‘traditional’ sense if it’s what he wanted.”

            John smiled, “That’s all I wanted to know,” he said and then the conversation was back on track.

            It gave Derek a lot to think about.  Did he want to get married?  Of course he did!  He would love nothing more than to wear Stiles’ ring and call him ‘husband’.  But it was something he wanted to do on his terms, not because his future father-in-law guilt-tripped him into it. 

* * * 

            At Christmas the Skype session with Beacon Hills was more bittersweet than usual.  Stiles had never been happier than he currently was with his mate, his cubs and his pack, but he missed his father now more than ever.  He wanted them to all wake up under the same roof; he wanted Melissa to insist on getting the cubs and cowing even Derek with her motherly, no-nonsense glare.  He wanted to make Christmas pancakes with his dad and then gather around the tree for a leisurely present exchange.  Stiles could tell that his father was feeling it too.

            John and Melissa shared that they had started a fund for all of the major present events they were missing.  When the kids were home, they would get showered with not only love, but presents from their grandparents.  “I hope I haven’t overstepped by calling myself their grandmother?” Melissa asked with a look of guilt at having made the assumption.

            “Are you kidding, mom?  You would have been their grandmother even if you and the sheriff hadn’t gotten together,” Scott said.

            Stiles laughed, “He’s right.  And any kids Scott has would have had you as a grandfather, dad.  You guys just made it easy for us.”

            “I’ve been saving too, Stiles, I’m going to take them out and buy them welcome home presents,” Scott said with a lopsided grin.

            “The cubs will get a kick out of meeting new uncles and their grandparents.”

            “And speaking of grandparents…”

            John and Melissa made the announcement that they planned to make it official.  He had proposed and Melissa had accepted.  They were waiting until the family was back together and then would have a small ceremony.

            Stiles had tears in his eyes when he congratulated them.  He wanted to see his father happy after all the years of mourning his mom.  Melissa deserved happiness after her abusive ex-husband walked out on her and Scott.  And though things weren’t perfect between them, Stiles wanted to be real brothers with Scott.  When Derek offered to host the wedding and reception at the newly renovated house, Stiles had to excuse himself briefly.

            Melissa and John were touched by the offer and surprised when Peter offered to organize the affair.  They tried to refuse, but were reminded that they were now all family.  The Hales would host the ceremony and the party afterward.  If nothing else Peter had a knack for organization and detail and could make the event elegant, but modest and most importantly, fun.

 

            After their call Derek and Stiles took the cubs to dinner with the rest of the family.  Isaac and Carla were making goo-goo eyes at one another while Marco teased them.  Uncle Ollie and Aunt Laura cooed over the triplets, and baby Ollie, who had recently celebrated his first birthday, wanted attention from Stiles. 

            Dinner was a quiet affair as it was only the immediate family.  Derek sat back and observed everything that went on around him.  This was potentially his last Christmas here and he wanted to remember the way Ollie kept waddling to Stiles and how Marco had the easiest time settling the triplets into the playpen.  He noticed how Leila got quiet and blushed when they mentioned Carmen might stop over for breakfast in the morning and how Uncle Ollie and Aunt Rita told embarrassing stories of Christmases past.  And every so often Stiles would look over at him and gift him with a wide smile.  It meant everything to Derek that Stiles was happy.

_January 2014…_

            Mid-way through the month the babies were crawling and already causing trouble; it was all Stiles could do to keep them contained during the day when Isaac and Marco were in class.  Luckily Carla was in the middle of a gap-year and cut back her hours at the bookstore to help Stiles.  She sat with the babies at Rain’s shop during their lessons.  They had constructed an octagonal playpen for them in the back room where Rain’s living space was.  And the triplets pretty much occupied each other.  Carla was in awe of how quickly they developed.  She had seen it with Ollie, but it took her by surprise every time she saw them do something that would be considered advanced for a fully human child.  More and more they all believed that all of the cubs were wolves. 

            When Stiles and Rain were in the middle of a ‘hands-on’ lesson, Carla watched over the children and the shop.  Having been to the shop many times over the years, Carla knew her way around it, and she could answer basic questions regarding books, herbs and talismans.  And having previous experience in retail gave her experience in customer service and making cash transactions.

            “…Honestly Stiles, you should open an herb shop when you return to your hometown.  You’re a natural at this.  And Carla would be quite the helper,” Rain suggested as she followed Stiles from the back of the shop carrying Liam while Stiles held Elijah and Emma.

            “You really think so?” he asked as he began depositing the cubs into the triple stroller that Laura had specially made for them.

            “You’ve got an amazing understanding of earth and nature.  You’ve mastered many things without help from me, you retain knowledge easily, and you’re eager to learn about things you don’t know.  I believe your town could benefit from your knowledge.  Plus it’s a great excuse to keep practicing everything you’ve learned on a daily basis.

            “Plus, Carla has a way with people, and like you, she remembers things even if she hasn’t been specifically taught them.”

            “What do you mean?” Carla asked as she took Liam from her and placed him in his stroller seat, fastening the belt and making sure it wasn’t too tight or pinching him.

            “What I mean is that you’ve gained knowledge from watching and listening to the sessions I’ve had with your mother over the years and more recently, my sessions with Stiles.  You’ve been given no formal education from me, yet you have been running the shop and assisting customers when I’m busy with Stiles.  That is an incredible talent.”

            It gave Carla something to think about, but later.  Now she was focused on the unknown werewolf that had just walked into the shop.  The shop was spelled so that no one with ill intentions could enter; however, this was a stranger and she had the alpha-mate and cubs to worry about.  She stood up straighter and visibly stiffened.

            The red-headed female paused, holding her hands up in surrender.  “I’m just passing through and have permission from the local alpha to be in the territory temporarily.  I’m just here looking to replenish my supply of wolfsbane,” she said with a thick British accent.

            Carla, having not heard a lie, relaxed, but only slightly.

            “I understand you carry arnica montana,” she spoke to Rain.

            “I do,”

            “I only need an ounce or so.”

            “Very well, I’ll be just one moment,” Rain said and disappeared into the back.  She knew that Stiles and Carla wouldn’t leave until after the visiting wolf did, so she didn’t bother saying her goodbyes.

            They stood in awkward silence for a few moments before the redhead spoke again, “I’m Fiona.”

            “I’m Carla.”

            “You must be related to the alpha.”

            “She’s my mother.”

            “Wow that must be cool, being the daughter of the alpha.”

            Before Carla could answer Emma made a noise and drew everyone’s attention.  “Oh my, who is this gorgeous little angel?” she asked squatting down to get on level with the cubs.

            Both Carla and Stiles growled at her close proximity to the babies and then Emma made a noise something akin to a growl before flashing golden eyes at the strange wolf.  Liam and Elijah quickly followed suit and flashed their eyes at her as well.  And while they didn’t think she meant any harm, she had clearly unsettled the cubs.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset your cubs,” she said to Carla as she stood.  “She’s just so pretty.”

            “Thank you, my daughter _is_ the prettiest thing ever,” Stiles answered.  “But my boys are just as adorable.”

            Fiona gave Stiles a confused look.  Her eyes shifted between him and Carla, “They’re _your_ cubs?”

            “Sure are,” he said with a smug grin and watched as she looked between him and the cubs.  One look at Emma’s eyes and nose and the realization dawned on her face very quickly.

            “I’m sorry, they just look so much like the Jones alpha, I just assumed…”

            “Well you weren’t completely wrong in that assumption; my mate is related to Alpha Jones.”

            “Oh well that—”

            She was cut off when Emma suddenly began to wail.  Stiles immediately released her from her safety straps and pulled her into his arms.  It didn’t take much more than her face pressed into Stiles’ neck and his voice to soothe her.  When the boys looked like they were only moments from following their sister into tears, Stiles called his goodbyes to Rain and he and Carla hustled the kids out of the shop and to the car quickly.

            “I didn’t like her,” Carla said on the drive home.  “I didn’t like the way she looked when she realized that the cubs were yours, or the way she was looking at our Emma.  It was like she was coveting her.”

            Stiles had no reply.  He didn’t know what to make of Fiona, having been mostly focused on his children.  But one thing he did know, she _had_ unsettled the c… “Oh my God Carla, they all just presented as werewolves!”

            That fact had gone completely unnoticed by them.

            “Derek’s gonna be so pissed he missed it,” Carla said.

            Derek was in fact livid, but more so that it was another wolf that had brought it out of them.  At the same time, he was impressed.  “Babies have a sixth sense about people and it’s pretty clear that the cubs didn’t recognize this Fiona person as pack,” Derek explained.

            Then he got on the floor where the cubs were all scooting around trying to get to their papa.  Derek flashed red eyes at them, and the cubs’ eyes all flashed golden eyes back at him.  Derek had been trying it for weeks with no response and now…now he had tears in his eyes at the thought that he and Stiles had produced three werewolf cubs.  He thought that maybe Emma would be human since she favored Stiles more so than Derek.  But they had somehow gotten three werewolves out of the gate.  It was an amazing thing.  Derek was just happy to be a father, but to be responsible for teaching three cubs how to be werewolves…  It was overwhelming to him.

            The pack had a huge celebration that weekend.  Everyone was thrilled at the addition of wolves to the pack, but mostly the pack looked forward to any reason to throw a party.

_February…_

            Derek asked his aunt to step up his training and she agreed it was time to learn more about pack politics.  Once he had stumbled his way through the worst parts of puberty, Derek had developed excellent control over his shift and his emotions.  So learning to control the alpha power hadn’t been hard for him once he had proper direction.  What he now needed to learn was how to deal with visiting packs, stray omegas, alliances, and mediating pack disputes. 

            His sister had learned those things at their mother’s side.  It was the same way his cousin Kyle had learned, which was why she chose to take Derek to help her mediate a territory dispute in Boise, Idaho instead of her alpha heir.  This was a twofold test for Derek.  Laura wanted to see how he handled being an impartial party between two opposing packs.  Also, it was a test to see how he handled leaving his mate and cubs in the care of his betas.  With the babies being only six months old, it would be very hard for Derek to be away from them.  All of his instincts as a parent would be pulling him home.  Laura wanted to see if he could suppress those instincts long enough to be the alpha he needed to be.

            Laura had anything but fond memories watching Derek say his good-byes to the pack.  She watched as he hugged and scent marked each of his betas in turn, reminding them all to do what was expected of them, to look after one another, and to take care of Stiles and the cubs.  Then he pulled each of his children to him one at a time.  He hugged, kissed and scent marked them, murmuring his love to them and promising to be back soon.  Then he reached for Stiles, who took it all in stride.  He assured Derek that while they would miss him, they would be all right for the four or five days he would be gone.

            The scene was very similar to the ones in her memories.  It was always hard leaving her family even for a few hours, but as an alpha—and a powerful one—it was her duty to help her fellow werewolves when and where she could.  As the alpha of the largest and strongest pack in Oregon, Laura was often called upon to mediate disputes between rival packs, and hunters and packs.  She was also called on to ally herself with other weaker packs who were being preyed upon by larger packs or rogue hunters.  There was always the fear that something would happen to the pack while she was gone.  Or worse, that she wouldn’t make it back to them.  So she understood what Derek was going through.  Hell, she still went through it herself.  Yes her children were older, but they were still her children, plus she had a grandson to worry over now.

            During the five hour drive, Laura explained that the Boise pack, led by an older alpha, had been in the territory for many years and it was a new, smaller pack with a younger alpha that had settled near their pack lands.  That was as much as Laura really understood about the dispute.  She asked for Derek’s opinion based on the small amount of information they had received.  To Derek it sounded like posturing from the older alpha and that the dispute could be easily settled by establishing set borders that both packs agreed to recognize and to possibly ally themselves together. 

            Laura was happy with his opinion, because it was the same as hers.  Based off of too little information, they had to make the assumption that the older alpha was trying to establish dominance within their territory.  But in order to help mediate, they had to be there to both hear each pack’s complaints, and to observe each pack.

            They arrived a while past dinnertime.  The female alpha of the Boise pack, Dorothea Jackson was there to meet them in the hotel parking lot looking very displeased.  She had offered her home to them, but Laura believed it would be improper as she was meant to be an impartial third party.  The alpha made her annoyance known by the gruff manner in which she greeted Laura and Derek. 

            Laura was quick to put the older alpha in her place.  She had called for Laura’s help in handling the matter, so they would do things Laura’s way, or Dorothea could handle the problem on her own and risk alienating other packs.  Werewolf packs had an unspoken loyalty to each other in that they were few and spread out.  And between hunters and other supernatural groups, it became a necessity that they all looked out for one another.  While all packs had their secrets, certain things, like denying a pack sanctuary or betraying an alliance always spread quickly throughout the territories.  Though no one knew that the Jones and Hale packs were related by blood, everyone knew they had an alliance.  And every werewolf pack across the country—worldwide even—had heard about how the Hales were murdered by the Argents.  It was for reasons like that, that packs followed certain protocols and didn’t do anything that would be overly detrimental to another pack.  Unless the packs had a blood feud and then the only thing that stood firm was to put aside their differences to defend one another from hunters.

            Laura introduced Derek as her allied alpha, “As I’m sure you know the Jones and Hale packs were once close allies.  Derek and I have rekindled that alliance and he has come as a secondary mediator to aid in settling this dispute.” 

            Dorothea nearly squawked with shock.  News had spread far and wide that a Hale alpha had returned to reclaim their ancestral territory, and that they had done battle with the alpha pack and won.  She hadn’t expected to have two such powerful and allied alphas in her territory and changed her tune very quickly.   “I am so very honored to have you both here and will do whatever you deem necessary to end this dispute fairly.”  Dorothea then left them to settle in to their rooms.

            Laura had hotel management move them to different rooms than what the alpha had booked for them.  Once inside, they swept the rooms for listening devices and cameras and then they had a brief talk over a late supper.  Laura already didn’t like the turn the situation had taken.  She didn’t like that Dorothea was so adamant about getting Laura to stay with her and therefore get Laura on her side.  Derek didn’t think it boded well for the talks.  Before turning in for the night, she made sure to stress to Derek that their blood relation remain a guarded secret.  It wouldn’t be a problem for him because it had always been a secret.  It was the reason no one knew where to find them when he and Laura ran from Beacon Hills after the fire. 

            The following morning they met with both alphas in a picnic area.  It was Dorothea’s territory; however, the location was not her pack’s den and was as close to neutral territory as they would get.  Trey Harrington was the alpha from Nampa, Idaho.  He was young and had come into his powers unexpectedly when his pack was all but decimated by another.  Trey’s grandfather had been the alpha of their pack.  Most of the pack had been killed in the battle.  Only Trey, his younger sister, a few betas and his grandfather had managed to escape the carnage.  The alpha had been seriously injured and died during the trip to Nampa.  As his parents and older sibling had all been killed, Trey was next in line to inherit the power. 

            Their family owned a cabin and a small plot of land in Nampa—about fifteen acres, which was outside of Dorothea’s claimed territory.  It had never been an issue when the pack came to Nampa for vacations in the past.  Trey’s pack only wanted to be allowed to mourn their losses and strengthen his small pack of six.  Dorothea’s worry was that, once their period of mourning was over, would they begin to expand their pack and their territory? 

            “And as I’ve said before Alpha Jackson, that won’t happen any time soon, and even if it were the case, we would never presume to encroach on your territory.  We would expand in the opposite direction.  I still don’t understand the problem.  The land we’re on isn’t yours to claim and we’ve never come close to the borders of your territory.”

            “I don’t really understand the issue either.  The radius between the borders is large enough that you would never come across each other unless it was done purposely, and the Harrington pack has agreed that an expansion would be in the opposite direction of your land,” Derek interjected.  He thought he understood what was going through the older alpha’s mind and hoped that he was wrong.

            “Well I wouldn’t expect someone who had an alliance with the same hunting family that killed his family to understand much of anything,” Corbin, Dorothea’s son and heir spoke out of turn.

            Laura growled, but Derek kept his cool.  “It’s all right Alpha Jones,” he said calming her.  “You know nothing of my family or the Argents.  My alliance with the two remaining Argents is none of your business, but since you’re obviously eager to know, I’ll explain,” Derek said with a cold calmness.

            Dorothea opened her mouth to apologize for her son, having not wanted to upset the Hale alpha, but Derek stopped her with a gesture.  He explained that after Chris Argent learned what his sister had done, he stood by and watched as Derek’s uncle ripped her throat out without trying to stop him or retaliating.  And when his father, Gerard, went on the warpath and tried corrupting his granddaughter to his cause, Chris Argent _helped_ Derek’s pack take him down as well.  And when there was no one left but him and his daughter, Chris could have retreated, rebuilt his hunting empire, and sought revenge on the supernatural world that had all but destroyed his family.  Instead he chose to stay in Beacon Hills, and help to defeat the alpha pack.

            “The remaining Argents have a new code now, ‘ _Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes._   We protect those who cannot protect themselves.’  The Argents aren’t hunters anymore, they’re protectors.  And while we’ll never be friends, we both understand loss and agreed that more violence wouldn’t have solved anything; it would have only wiped out what was left of our families.”

            Derek looked at the packs assembled before him and silently dared them to try and contradict or even comment on what he said.  No one dared.  “Alpha Jones, I think we should break and reconvene tomorrow.”

            “Very well, I agree Alpha Hale.  Same time and place tomorrow,” Laura said and thoroughly dismissing both packs.  When they were alone, Laura praised Derek for the way he handled himself.  She’d never been prouder of him.

            Day two of the mediation went just as bad.  Dorothea’s other son Calvin apologized to Derek on his idiot brother’s behalf and then almost didn’t take no for an answer to his advances, which only served to aggravate Derek and Laura.  Then during the talks Dorothea dropped the bomb.  She expected to absorb Trey’s pack into her own.  He would submit to her as the alpha and hand over the claim of land in Nampa.  She would welcome them into her pack and they would be subject to her rules.

            Trey practically exploded; he couldn’t believe she actually thought that he would willingly submit to her.  Derek saw strength in the almost frail looking young alpha that surprised him.  It reminded him of when he first met Stiles, young, frail and frightened, but strong-willed and determined to protect those that were precious to him.

            Laura called for them to quiet down.  It was evident they were at an impasse that could lead to a pack war.  “If I can come up with a neutral solution that is fair for both packs, will you accept it?” she asked.  When both alpha’s agreed—Dorothea did so grudgingly—Laura adjourned the talk until tomorrow.

            “What are you going to do?” Derek asked her at dinner that evening.

            “What would you do?”

            If the situation were different he would have told Dorothea to get off her high horse and to leave Trey’s pack be.  They weren’t currently trespassing or breaking any treaties.  But Derek didn’t trust Dorothea’s pack to leave them alone and feared that once he and Laura returned home, she would attack them.  After a few minutes of thought, “Don’t you own land that the pack doesn’t really use?”

            “Yes, in Detroit, Oregon.  There are a few cabins and a small acreage of land there.  We used it a lot when your mother and I were children, but now we only go up a few times a year just to keep up the property.  Sometimes newly mated couples use it for a few days to honeymoon, but other than that, no, we don’t really use it.”

            “So why not offer the land to Trey’s pack in exchange for an alliance with them?”

            Derek’s heart went out to Trey; he knew what it was to suddenly be an alpha in the midst of losing most of your pack.  Dorothea was trying to prey on them when she should have been offering support to a fellow pack.  He believed that she wanted the power of having another alpha and more betas in her pack.  And the land Trey owned was an added bonus so that she could expand the borders of her territory.

            Laura was both surprised and impressed by Derek’s solution.  She promised to sleep on it.

            That evening while Derek spoke to Stiles he reveled in the sound of the cubs in the background and when he explained what the talks had revealed today, he had his own suggestions to add.  Stiles wished they were back in Beacon Hills because he would have liked for Derek to offer them some of the unclaimed land nearby.  “But if they accept the alliance with Laura, they’ll be our allies too.  Speaking of, you know we’ll have years where we host the annual pack gathering.”

            “Yeah I know, I think we’ll do a great job as hosts as long as crazy-Lindsey knows she’s banned from the Hale territory too,” Stiles said matter-of-factly.

            “Don’t bring that psycho up; I’ve got enough to think about,” Derek laughed.  He missed his pack and their little cabin, but more than that he missed Beacon Hills.  He never thought he’d have that feeling again after the fire, but as each day passed, Derek looked forward to returning home more and more.

            In the morning Derek shared Stiles’ suggestion with his aunt who laughed because the same idea had occurred to her.  Again she praised Derek for making such a good choice in a mate.

            When they arrived at the final mediation session it took everything in Derek to keep from grinning.  He knew that Laura’s suggestion would likely be well received by Trey and that Dorothea would attempt to thwart it.

            “After much deliberation, and after conferring with Alpha Hale, I’ve found a solution.  Alpha Trey Harrington, I would like you to give ownership of your land in Nampa to me—”

            “What?!” both alphas growled.

            Laura held up her hand to quiet them.  “In exchange I will give you ownership to land that I own in Detroit, Oregon, about fifty or so miles from my territory.  The land will be yours to claim legally and spiritually and we can discuss expansion once your pack is stable again.”

            Trey’s mouth was wide open in disbelief and Dorothea seemed to be sputtering, looking for something to say.

            “If this is unacceptable, Alpha Hale would be happy to offer you an alliance and unclaimed land in California.”

            “I would buy your Nampa land at a fair price so that you had capitol to buy other land; however, my pack is young and still stabilizing itself, so being closer to Alpha Jones would benefit you more,” Derek offered.

            “Why?” Trey asked sounding broken, “Why would you do this for us?”

            “Because I lost my pack—my family—too and my sister and I found ourselves without a home or parents or anyone who cared about what happened to us.  Or so we thought,” he said looking to Laura.

            “We had a long and very strong alliance with the Hales and it devastated us when they were killed.  My pack took in Derek and his sister because they needed to be helped and supported, not to be preyed upon in their time of need and suffering. 

            “Alpha Jackson I am ashamed by your behavior.  There are so few packs left in this country thanks to pointless pack wars and hunters.  You should have offered them help, not threatened to take their land and leader away from them.”

            “How dare you speak to me like that in my territory!  And you cannot offer them land in exchange for the land in Nampa.”

            “Oh, but I can, Alpha Jackson.  You do not have claim on all of the land in Idaho and you certainly have no say over what I choose to do with land in my territory.  And let’s not forget, you’re the one who brought me here,” Laura reminded her.  Turning back to Trey, “Alpha Harrington, you may take all the time you need to think over the offer; however, I must say that with Alpha Jackson’s attitude toward your pack and your pack’s current weakened condition, I do not think it’s wise to remain in Nampa.”

            “Are you suggesting that I would attack his pack once your back is turned?!” Dorothea asked indignantly.

            “I would never make an assumption like that; but you have not been helpful or friendly to them.  I am simply suggesting that they exercise caution.”

            “There’s no need to think it over.  When can we leave?”

            Laura purposely invited herself and Derek to stay the night with them so she could inspect the land she was trading for.  Alpha Jackson would be foolish indeed if she thought to attack the Harrington pack while she and Derek were their guests.  The following morning, if they were ready for travel, they could follow Derek and Laura to her territory to meet the pack.  Afterward they would visit with her lawyers and then she would take them to their new land in Detroit.

_March…_

            “…I notice there’s work being done on two other buildings on the property, separate from the main house,” John mentioned nonchalantly.  It was his way of asking without asking.

            “One is a greenhouse for Stiles.  He’s thinking of opening an herb shop in the future and this would help with that.  Plus there are herbs he can grow that will be medicinal for the pack.”

            “And the other?”

            “It’s a guest house for you and Melissa,” he said and smirked when his words had the desired effect.

            “I…what?”

            “You guys don’t have to move in with us unless you want to.  The house is for your privacy as much as for ours.  You can stay over after a late family dinner, or for holidays.  You’ll be close, but still have your own space.  And if you think Stiles won’t start harping on you about retiring in the next few years, you’re delusional.”

            “I…that’s very nice of you, son.”  That word coming from a father, even one that wasn’t his own, made Derek’s heart clench.  “You’re a good kid Derek.  I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner.”  And a warm feeling spread from Derek’s fast-beating heart throughout his entire body.  It was a step in the right direction for them.

            Later that evening Stiles told Derek all about his conversation with Scott.  Peter had actually praised him for excelling at his training.  They had tracked the scent of a stray omega on the edge of their territory.  It was a young man who was running from his abusive boyfriend and returning to his family pack in Los Angeles.  The young man had nothing but the clothes on his back and a backpack with a few books, a wallet empty of money, and a dead cell phone.  Peter offered him asylum and helped him to contact his family, who wired him money for a bus ticket home.  They fed him, gave him a safe, warm place to sleep for the night, fresh clothes and then took him to the bus station and watched him get on the bus.  Scott, Peter and Chris then spent the evening covering the omega’s scent in the forest with their own.

            “Wait… my uncle convinced Chris Argent to pee in the woods to cover up an omega werewolf’s scent?” Derek asked and Stiles burst into laughter.  Derek followed him into laughter seconds later.  But it seemed that the Argents were serious about their new code.  While he didn’t carry any visible bruises, the young man had a beaten look about him, according to Scott.  And if Scott noticed it, it had to be pretty bad.

            Also, Scott and Allison had agreed to move into a romantic relationship.  They would take things slow, as if they were dating for the first time.  They knew it would be difficult, but promised to start off with honesty rather than with secrets and lies as they had the first time.  Their first date was in a week and Scott was very nervous.  Stiles was truly happy for Scott.  He hoped that things with him and Allison worked out this time.

_April…_

            Derek went to Washington with Laura, Leila, and Trey who, from his alliance with Laura, had the added bonus of an alliance with the Williams pack.  Stiles chose to stay safe at home with the triplets who were now pulling themselves up and standing at the sides of their playpen.  He knew it wouldn’t be long before they started trying to climb out.

            Lindsey clearly still wanted to devour Derek, but Jesse had enough of a leash on his daughter that she never said or did anything inappropriate.  The trip was awkward at best, but Jesse was making a strong effort to maintain their alliance, and Laura couldn’t fault him for that.  Derek promised to maintain the alliance once he returned to Beacon Hills permanently, but Lindsey was not welcome in his territory until she could prove to be remorseful for what she had done.

_May…_

            When John questioned Stiles about the construction going on at Derek’s old loft, he was surprised to learn that Derek owned the building and thought it was past time to make it livable for tenants.  He also decided his loft would be a perfect meeting place for when visiting packs came to Beacon Hills.  Derek would never truly feel comfortable having strangers in the same place his children slept, so this was a perfect option.  As it was, Peter was under orders to take the memories of the crew who renovated the escape tunnels beneath the house.  Derek didn’t want anyone but pack knowing about them.  He also made sure there was more than one exit from the tunnels.

            This impressed John even more.  He learned that his son-in-law was wealthy and that he was smart with his money.  He also learned that the construction company hired to work on the apartment building was owned by Derek. 

            After finishing the credits for his Bachelor’s degree, Derek, decided to forego getting his Master’s Degree.  Instead he put together a crew from the company he had worked for briefly and started his own construction company.  Derek knew about building and Peter was business minded so it was the perfect combination.  He had a college degree and a career path and that was what mattered most to Derek.

_June…_

            The pack had a graduation celebration for Isaac, Marco and the other high school seniors.  (Stiles had no bitterness at not having more fanfare when he finished his senior credits early.)  It was a tribute to the pack’s pride in their hard work and to signify that they were moving on to a new phase in their lives.  Some were going away to school while a few were staying local, and another few decided to follow their parents into whatever business or career they were in, mechanic, coffee shop, farming and so on.  Marco, Isaac, Carla and Stiles had been accepted into school closer to Beacon Hills.  

            They also celebrated Leila’s decision to go to nursing school; she planned to join Carmen in her practice and in her life.  They had been carrying on a clandestine relationship that everyone knew about, but never spoiled for the couple.  Laura couldn’t have been happier to welcome Carmen into the family.

            Later in the month they held another celebration.  Isaac and Carla were married.  First they had a legal ceremony officiated by a Justice of the Peace.  Marco stood as Isaac’s best man, Leila was Carla’s maid of honor and Derek and Stiles stood as parents of the groom.  Derek watched as Uncle Ollie gave Carla away with tears on his face.  He thought of the time when he might be doing the same.  It made him clutch Emma a little more tightly.

            After the official ceremony, they held a traditional pack ceremony.  All of the pack was present, there were fire pits built and tons of food cooked.  Stiles and Derek spent most of their time chasing after the triplets who were walking now.  Elijah was the worst as he was the biggest and could get into more stuff.  Liam was the sneakiest and the one more likely to get into something dangerous.  Emma was content to stay in her Papa’s arms.  She loved pulling at his beard and giggled when he flashed his eyes at her.

            Isaac and Carla couldn’t decide who should be the one to go on the hunt, so in fairness, they both went.  Together they took down an elk and dragged it back to the party.  Derek allowed the couple the use of the cabin for the evening.  He, Stiles, Marco and the cubs piled in together at the main house.

            In the dark of the room, with their children between them, Stiles leaned up on his elbow, caressed Derek’s naked back and whispered, “Do you ever wish we could do that together?”

            “Do what?” Derek croaked.

            “Hunt together.  Do you ever wish I was a wolf?”

            “No.”

            Stiles paused for several moments waiting for Derek to elaborate, but of course he didn’t.  “That’s it, just no?”

            Derek cracked an eye at his mate, “Stiles, I fell in love with you as you are, so of course I don’t wish you were anything more or less than you are.  If it happened…if I _had_ to bite you to save you—”

            “—A thing for which you have my complete permission,” Stiles cut in.

            “—I would accept the change and love you just as much.  Sure it would be nice to run with you and the kids, but you being human doesn’t make my love for you any different than it would be if you were a werewolf.”  That seemed to satisfy Stiles because he lay back down.  “Does… Does it bother you?”

            “That I’m not a wolf?  No.  I’m content to be me, but I wouldn’t hate you for biting me if it was something you felt you had no other choice but to do.”

            “Actually I meant the cubs.”

            “What about that?”

            “Does it bother you that they’re not human?”

            “Of course not!  They’re our babies.  I’m just happy they’re here and healthy.  I don’t care if they’re wolves, gay, straight, trans… I only care that they’re safe and happy.”

            “But you won’t have anyone to pass on your spark to.”

            “There’s always a chance that one of our grandkids will inherit it.  Plus…we’re not done having kids.”

            “Oh my God, please don’t start trying for the next kid!” Marco groaned from behind Derek.

_July…_

            It was still dark out when everyone gathered around in the driveway to say their good-byes to the Hale pack.  They had celebrated Independence Day with the pack, and then spent the majority of the month preparing for their return to Beacon Hills.  It was bittersweet for Laura who had been preparing them for this very thing, but didn’t want to say good-bye to her family.  And not just Marco and Carla, but Derek, Stiles, Isaac, and the cubs as well.  She had grown so used to having them around, that she had almost forgotten that it was never permanent.

            “I wish you could stay until the end of the summer,” she heard Kelley say to Stiles as she took little Ollie from his arms.

            “I wish we could too, but it’ll be better for us if we can get settled in and comfortable before we all have to start school in the fall.  I’m gonna miss you lil’ buddy,” Stiles cooed at Ollie.  “And you too Kelley; you’ve been awesome.”

            “Are you kidding?  It’s because of you that Derek came back home.  I know Beacon Hills is your true home, but I hope you think of this place as a home away from home.”

            “Of course I do!  Home and family,” Stiles said before offering her a final hug.

            It went on like that for the rest of the pack.  Stiles was going to probably miss Uncle Ollie the most.  He had done so much to make sure Stiles and Isaac could continue their education, and he made sure that he had a way to communicate with his father without endangering anyone, and he was just cool to talk with.  And Aunt Laura… Stiles liked to imagine that she was like meeting both Derek’s mother and older sister.  She was strong and loving and motherly, but no-nonsense and she spoke her mind.  Everyone in Oregon from immediate Jones family to pack members who worked the farm, to the kids they went to school with had treated them all with love and respect.  It was a sad thing leaving them all behind; however, Stiles couldn’t wait to get home to his territory, to his father.

            Derek and Laura had the final good-bye.  She had already kissed, hugged and worried over her children, Isaac, Stiles and the cubs.  But this was her sister’s child, the last remaining piece of her other half.  Laura loved Derek as if he was her own and she hated the thought of letting him go again.  The last time she had said a good-bye to Laura, it had been her last good-bye.  She didn’t want it to be the last time she ever saw Derek again, and she told him as much.  The only promise Derek could make was to visit more often and to be as careful as he could; he had a lot to live for.

            And then the group was off and headed to Beacon Hills.  Derek drove the truck pulling a trailer that held the Camaro.  Isaac drove the Jeep with Carla and Marco to keep him company and to take turns driving.  Even though they had the cubs to contend with, Derek wanted to make the trip in one day.  They would have to make more stops to feed and change the triplets, but Derek was sure they could do it.

            The babies were well behaved in the car, amusing themselves and each other with their baby talk.  Stiles was convinced they were communicating with one another in some strange triplet-werecub language, Derek just shook his head and smiled at his mate’s silliness.

            Around lunch time the kids began to fuss and Derek pulled in to a rest stop that had a picnic area.  The group parked, pulled a cooler and a few blankets from the Jeep and sat down for lunch.  The betas helped out by changing the babies into fresh diapers while Stiles and Derek got lunch together.  The only reason they were able to keep the triplets from trying to rush off was because they were all hungry.

            They were on solids now and the pack took turns feeding them chopped lamb while they fed themselves softly cooked pieces of carrot.  They were drinking milk out of sippy cups and were fed apple sauce for dessert.  For babies they ate a lot; for werewolf cubs they ate a normal amount.  All except for Elijah who was trying to eat Derek’s lamb sandwich while Derek was currently eating it.  He laughed and moved just out of reach while his son attempted to climb him and gave his best interpretation of a frustrated growl.  Derek was tickled by it.  He flashed his eyes at his son and growled playfully.  Elijah screamed and ran to Stiles, laughing and squealing, “Dada!  Dada!”

            Everyone gasped because though they were making distinct sounds and attempting to form words, none of them had managed it until now.  “Derek!” Stiles breathed as he caught his son who climbed into his lap to hide his face in his Dada’s neck.  This was a game they had played many times before.

            Derek got on all fours and continued growling playfully.  The other children, Liam and Emma also squealed and ran to Stiles shouting, “Dada!”

            Stiles was so thrilled that they had all been present for the cubs’ first true words that he almost didn’t react properly.  “Dada’s got you!”   He hugged them to him, protecting them from their growling papa.  Then the betas were beside them growling at Derek.  The children giggled and then faced their papa and did their best growl, Stiles joining in as well. 

            Derek backed up in mock fear and the cubs all ran at him, pouncing until he was on his back submitting to their domination.  They all crawled over him nipping at his belly and neck playfully.  After that it turned into a free-for-all.  Isaac, Carla and Marco were chasing each other and the cubs and Derek, and periodically someone would use Stiles as a shield.  Stiles and Marco began packing up the food and blankets when they noticed the children were beginning to tire.  By the time they had everything loaded, Derek, Isaac and Carla were each carrying a sleeping or nearly sleeping child to the truck.  Stiles was inside the back of the cab and was handed each child in turn to get them settled securely into their car seats.

            They made good time while the triplets napped.  And once again, Derek could feel anxiousness coming from Stiles.  They had discussed it last night; both had difficulty sleeping.  Stiles was excited to see his father again, but there was still some lingering worry over John’s reaction to Derek.  He was also worried about seeing Scott again, and Peter, and whether or not he would feel differently about Melissa now that she was his almost-stepmother.  Derek worried about all those things too; he also worried about bringing his children to a place where his family had been murdered.  He feared that he had made mistake in trusting Argents again.  What if someone tried to challenge his claim to his territory once he was back?  What if the triplets didn’t like their new home?

            Together they reassured each other that everything would be all right.  They had each other and their pack.  John would be too thrilled to see his grandchildren to think about anything else, Melissa had been like a stepmother to Stiles for years.  Both Derek and Stiles could see and believe the effort Peter had been making to change.  And Scott… Stiles knew things would be okay between them all, somehow.  With the alpha and his mate back, the territory would be safe; who would want to trifle with the pack that had taken out a pack of alphas?!

            They made another stop for food in the evening.  Derek wasn’t sure if Stiles planned it on purpose or if it was just serendipitous, but they ended up at the same diner where Lynne worked.  And the woman herself just happened to be on shift.  She looked more haggard than she had two years ago and Stiles had to wonder if it was just the later shift that had her looking like she had been rode hard and put away wet, or if she had just had a really, _really_ rough couple of years.

            Judging from the smile, she definitely remembered Derek; he was kind of unforgettable.  She smiled as wide as could be.  “Hey there, Sugar, how can I help ya?”

            “Hello there, Lynne,” Stiles said the name like it burned his tongue, “We’re gonna need two booths, five menus and three high chairs.”

            She gave Stiles an annoyed look until she saw his hand clasped in Derek’s.  She looked from one to the other, sputtered for a moment and then, “R-right, follow me.”  Lynne turned with a stumble, grabbed a stack of menus and led the way to the back of the diner where there were two booths back-to-back.  She turned and gasped when she saw the trio following behind Derek, each carrying a child.  Apparently the request for high chairs hadn’t registered until just then, “I… I’ll be right back with those high chairs,” she stammered before rushing off.

            Derek just gave Stiles his _really?!_ eyebrows.  “What?” Stiles asked, “A guy can’t gloat?”

            “You are ridiculous,” he said, but leaned over and offered his mate a tender kiss.

            Stiles couldn’t have planned it better himself; Lynne had just come around the corner, struggling with the highchairs when they kissed.  She let out a squeak that was only audible to the wolves, but the whole dinner heard the clatter of the chairs falling from her grasp.

            Isaac handed Emma to Derek and went over to help the befuddled waitress.  She thanked him, grateful for the help, and then headed over to the tables.  Isaac sat the three high chairs on the outside of the booth Stiles and Derek chose.  Liam and Elijah went into their seats easily, but Emma refused to be anywhere but Derek’s arms.  “Okay Emma, you can sit on Papa’s lap,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head and settling her on his lap.  She immediately started grabbing for things on the table.  Derek heard Lynne’s heartbeat spike at his gesture and worried that they were going to give the poor woman a stroke by the time they were done.

            “Can I start you off with drinks?”

            “Three milks and Pepsi for everyone else.”

            “All right.  I'll get those drinks and be back for your orders.”

            “Actually we’re ready to order,” Stiles said before she could walk off.

            Like before they ordered burgers and curly fries all around, except for the children, who would get burgers with no buns or trimmings, and regular fries instead of curly.

            When she came back with the drinks, Emma was standing in Derek’s lap, bouncing and babbling at the people behind her.  She seemed thrilled to see Lynne, and Derek thought it was because she could smell the milk.  The older woman seemed to melt at the sight and Derek secretly preened.

            The adult’s cups were pushed as far away from the babies as possible and Carla helped Stiles transfer their milk into fresh sippy cups.  Emma sat down once she had her cup in hand, then proceeded to ‘converse’ with her brothers in between sips of milk.

            “I wish I knew what they were saying to each other,” Isaac said.

            “Probably something along the lines of, _“Hey guys, watch how I tip Papa’s food into his lap once it gets here,”_ Carla joked.

            “See, you joke, but I’ll be the one with no food and stained pants later,” Derek deadpanned and pushed the group into laughter.  It broke a bit of the tension.  Stiles and Derek weren’t the only ones worried about going home.

            Once the food arrived, Derek and Stiles chopped up the kids’ burgers in tiny portions that they could feed and chew themselves.  Emma ate daintily from her plate as she perched on Derek’s thigh.  “I swear she reminds me more and more of Lydia every day,” Stiles said in awe.  Of the trio, Emma had the best dexterity.  She still made a mess when she fed herself, but not nearly as much as her brothers.  Elijah still seemed to try inhaling his food, and Liam was somewhere in between.

            After dinner (Derek was sure to thank Lynne personally and left her a big tip) the group managed to drive straight through to Beacon Hills.  It was very late when they pulled up to the newly built Hale House, but Peter was there waiting for them.  He had felt the pack bond light up the moment his alpha had passed within fifty miles of the territory.    

            If Derek had been unsure how he felt about his reunion with Peter before, he was sure now.  The sight and scent of his uncle, his beta, his _family_ , set the wolf to whining.  The moment he was clear of the truck he pulled Peter into a bone crushing hug, scenting the man and allowing himself to be scented in return.  After several moments, “I didn’t know how I’d feel about seeing you again, but it seems I’ve missed you, Uncle Peter.”

            “I’ve missed you too, Dear Nephew.  And you too, Little Red,” Peter smiled as Stiles came into view behind Derek.  They made introductions to Marco, while Peter and Carla remembered each other from years ago.  Isaac pulled Peter into a hug, which quite possibly surprised even Isaac himself.  “Now, let me see my grandniece and nephews!” Peter said excitedly.

            “Take them inside,” Derek gestured to the betas, “Stiles and I will get the cubs.”

            When they got them inside the children were wide awake.  Peter had taken the trio quickly through the ground floor and met back in the living area.  The place had already been furnished to Derek and Stiles’ liking, which saved them so much time and frustration that would now be spent acclimating the triplets to their new home.

            Peter came into the room and gasped at the sight of them.  Yes, he had Skyped with them many times, but it just wasn’t the same as seeing them in the flesh; of smelling their sweet scents.  The fathers set the children on their feet and let go of their hands while across the room, Peter knelt down to be level with them.  Everyone waited with bated breath to see how they would react to Peter.

            They seemed to converse in their secret baby babble, Emma being the most vocal.  And then she took steps toward Peter.  When she got there she stared at him briefly, “Hello Emma, I’m your _favorite_ Uncle Peter,” he spoke softly.

            Emma made a high pitched squeal, then patted Peter’s face with drool covered fingers before proceeding to climb him and bury her face in his neck.  Moments later her brothers followed suit, and Peter didn’t even try to pretend he wasn’t crying.  The cubs had accepted him, which meant they saw him as pack, and didn’t sense anything off or wrong about him.  Stiles was positive that the children accepting him was a bigger relief to Peter than it was to Derek and him.

            “We’ll just leave you with them while we check out the rest of the house,” Stiles said and the others followed his lead.  Upstairs they separated looking for their own rooms; Derek had allowed everyone to pick out color schemes and furniture.  The master bedroom was, obviously, the biggest and decorated in dark cherry wood and earthy tones and the only bright color were the red sheets on the bed.  Stiles rolled his eyes at Derek who shrugged.  That feature must have been Peter’s doing.  They also had an ensuite bathroom with his and his sinks and a very large tub.

            After briefly looking at their room, they went in search of the nursery, which was directly across the hall.  Inside was a very large circular crib.  Clearly it was custom made.  It was dark wood with intricate carvings of wolves, moons and trees.  It was—

            “Breathtaking,” Stiles said in awe as he ran his fingers over the carvings.

            “I had it commissioned as soon as I found out you were having triplets.  They’ll want to sleep together until they get too big for a crib, and even then…”

            “Peter, it’s beautiful,” Derek said.

            “Let’s see how they like it,” Peter said and hefted Emma and Liam into the crib before reaching behind him and pulling Elijah from his back and placing him with his siblings.  They all lay down and cooed happily into their pillows.

            “Oh no, diaper changes before you fall asleep,” Stiles said.  “I’ve got them.  Can you get their pajamas from the truck?  I’d like us to get a good night’s sleep before going to surprise my dad in the morning.”

            “Sure, but they should probably have a bath too; we’ve been in and out of rest stops all day.”

            “You cubs want baths?”

            “I’ll go start the water,” Peter offered.

            While Peter and Stiles prepared the children for baths and bed, Isaac, Marco and Carla helped bring in the necessities from the vehicles, clothes, diapers, toiletries, and then parked the vehicles in the three-car garage behind the house.

            Stiles left Peter with the triplets in the bath while he walked around the house whispering basic protection spells.  This was just so that they could sleep comfortably; after they were settled, Stiles would go throughout not only the house, but the preserve surrounding the house carving runes and laying protection to keep the house and the territory safe from harm.

            When he was done he found three naked babies and a soaked Peter in the nursery.  “That’s a nice look ya got going there, Peter,” he chuckled.

            “I’m not used to triplets,” was all he said as he started to towel-dry Elijah’s hair.

            Much to Stiles’ surprise the other children were sitting on the floor wrapped in their towels and patiently waiting their turn, so he left Peter to finish.

            He found Marco sitting on his bed, just staring at his room.  Stiles sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, “Welcome home, pup.  How are you feeling about it?”

            “I can sense how happy you and Derek are; I think I’m going to be okay here.”

            “I think you’re going to be better than ‘okay’ here.  Why don’t you grab yourself a shower and get some sleep.  We’ll have some work ahead of us tomorrow.”

            “’Kay.  Night Stiles.”

            Stiles checked on Carla and Isaac and regretted it.  It seemed they were foregoing showers and jumping right into christening their bedroom.  Being around werewolves gave nudity a certain normality to Stiles, but if he never again saw Isaac’s naked ass in the throes of sex it’d be much too soon.  He closed the door behind him and hustled into his and Derek’s room, leaning against the door with a look a horror on his face.

            “What happened?”

            “I saw things Derek, terrible, awful things.  I ne-need to go wash my eyes out with soap.”

            Derek chuckled.  “Go take a shower; I’ll lock down the house.”

            Derek was wistful as he went through the house admiring how beautiful it was, thinking of how beautiful it had been.  He didn’t let himself get caught up in bad memories, only the happy ones of family gatherings and chasing his siblings through the halls playing games.  He missed his family dearly, but he was thankful for the new one he had built.  Derek would do everything in his power to keep this family safe and whole.

            “Leila would be proud of you,” Peter said to him softly.  “Every time I walk through this house, I see her.  I can still feel her presence, smell her scent.  She’d be ashamed of what I became, and she would have every right—I’m ashamed.  But she would never be angry with you, Derek, because it wasn’t your fault.  Kate preying on you wasn’t your fault.  We should have paid more attention, watched you better— _I_ should have noticed what was going on with you.”

            “Peter—”

            “No, let me get this out just this once,” he pleaded with his nephew and when Derek nodded he continued, “We were a big family, but not so big that we shouldn’t have noticed that you were keeping a big, big secret.  Someone should have realized, I should have looked out for you better, and for that I’m sorry.  So if you’re to blame then we’re all to blame.  For the sake of your new family and pack, let’s leave it where it belongs…in the past with Kate Argent.  Nothing like that will _ever_ happen in this house again.  Let’s fill this place with laughter and happy memories in honor of not only ourselves, but of the ones who can’t be here with us.”

            Derek could only nod in agreement.  There would always be a separate ache in his heart where Laura belonged, and Peter was responsible for that ache, but dwelling on it wouldn’t bring her back.  Together they would move forward and build their family—their pack into what the Hales always were and were always meant to be, proud and strong…and full of love.  “You’re staying the night?”

            “For a few nights, yeah.”

            “Good.  See you in the morning,” Derek smiled at his uncle before heading for the stairs.

            Upstairs Derek checked on his cubs, who were all fast asleep in their new crib.  The fact that they had no trouble sleeping eased the worry in the back of Derek’s mind.

            The morning brought chaos, as always.  The cubs were up and calling for Dada, but got Marco instead.  Peter joined him, and while it was awkward at first, the younger wolf felt an instant connection to the older man and relaxed very quickly.  When Stiles managed to drag himself into the nursery, the duo were talking and laughing softly.  With a contented smile, Stiles left them to take care of the triplets, while he went to make breakfast.

            When Derek returned from his run, everyone was in the kitchen.  It was loud and messy and it was the best sight he had seen in a long time.  It had been exhilarating to run the preserve after such a long absence.  He re-familiarized himself with the terrain and left scent trails in his wake.  Later he would take his betas for a run, but there was the Sheriff and Scott to deal with first.

 

            “…So I’ll take the truck.  Give me about half an hour with my dad before you bring the cubs in the jeep and we can switch vehicles.  Unless—”

            “Your dad and I can do whatever talk he wants at dinner.  This morning is all about you guys reconnecting.  I’m going to go see how the construction at the loft is going and then find Scott.” 

*** 

            Stiles had never been as nervous as he was standing outside his father’s house waiting for him to answer the door.  It was strange thinking of it as ‘his father’s house’ because it had always been home until he left for Oregon.  And when his father opened the door and stared at him in shock, it still felt like home.  “Hey daddy, can I come in?”

            It took a few seconds for John’s brain to start firing again; he swore if he were dreaming this again he might sign himself into Eichen House.

            Stiles got worried when his father didn’t speak or move, “You okay, Daddy?”  Stiles moved forward and touched his father’s shoulder.  That seemed to pull him from whatever spell he was under.

            “Stiles!” he sobbed before wrapping his arms around his son in a tight embrace.  “You’re really here,” he cried.

            “I’m here, Pop.”

            Stiles reveled in the feel of his father’s hug.  He had been without it for too long.  The last two years had been full of love and affection, but he had missed his father more than he ever realized.  “I missed you so much,” he murmured.

            They held each other for a long, long time before John was willing to let his boy go long enough to pull him inside and close the door.  He was half dressed for work and Stiles suggested that he call out for the day.  So John called the station and told them not to bother him for the day unless there was a situation that couldn’t go without his input.

            Stiles made his father breakfast, real bacon and pancakes while they talked.  They made apologies and promises not to ever let a gap build between them again.  John couldn’t stop smiling and touching Stiles, as if checking to see if he was really real.  “I’m not going anywhere Pop, I promise…except to get the door,” he said when he heard the bell ring.

            “Who in the—”

            “Just eat your breakfast Dad, I got this.”  Stiles left his father in the kitchen while he went to the door.  There Derek stood with the triplets and a diaper bag.  They quickly traded keys, and kissed one another goodbye.  Stiles had just closed the door when his father came to check on him, half afraid the he had disappeared again.

            “Stiles what’s…”  Again John stood, shocked and staring.

            “Dad, I’d like you to meet your grandchildren, Elijah, Liam, and Emma,” he said touching each child’s head as he spoke their name.

            The cubs sniffed and then Emma squealed and rushed over to John holding out her arms for him to lift her up.  John grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms, hugging her to his chest in complete awe.  Tears streamed down his face at the sight of his child’s children.  Liam and Elijah followed suit and Stiles was pretty convinced that Emma was more likely to become the alpha than Elijah.

            The rest of the morning was spent playing with the kids and John marveling over how beautiful, smart and energetic they were.  “They definitely get that from you!”

            It didn’t take much for John to convince Stiles to allow him to show off his family.  Their first stop was the hospital where Melissa cried and gushed over not just the cubs, but Stiles.  Stiles and Scott and been in each other’s hip pockets for so long that it was as if she lost a son when he left with Derek.  He drove her insane because he was usually the architect behind all the trouble he and Scott got into, but she had missed him dearly. 

            Stiles had missed her too.  While she never could—and never tried—to replace his mother, Melissa had been a mom to him when he had needed it most.  He was more than happy that his father had chosen her to spend his life with.

            After the hospital they stopped by the station where most of the deputies were thrilled to see Stiles, but also happy to see their mentor and friend reunited with his family.  The cubs were a big hit and ate up all of the attention.  While Stiles had Emma laid out on the couch in his dad’s office to change her diaper, a deputy that Stiles had never met before came to say hello to the sheriff and meet his wayward son.  From John’s lap, Elijah let loose a babyish, but serious growl and flashed his eyes at the blonde man, who froze and let out a surprised yelp.

            “Parrish, inside and close the door!” John ordered.

            Stiles quickly redressed his daughter and stood to face the newcomer.  “What are you?”

            “Huh?”

            “They only flash their eyes if they’re playing with the pack or if they feel threatened,” Stiles pulled forth energy and put his belief in his words, “You will tell me the truth.  What are you?”

            “I…I have no idea what you’re talking about.  How did their eyes do that?”

            Stiles knew he was telling the truth.  The poor guy had something supernatural about him and had no idea.

            John assured Stiles that he trusted Parrish.  He had been a deputy for about a year and he had proved to be more helpful and loyal than some people who had been on the force for years.  Knowing that it would be useful for his father to have someone other than himself in the know about the supernatural activities that sometimes happened in Beacon Hills, Stiles invited, _“Jordan.  Jordan Parrish; it’s so nice to finally meet you!”_ to dinner at the Hale house.  Derek or Peter might have a better idea of what he was.

            They had lunch at the local diner and John was once again in his glory showing off his son and grandchildren.  He was awfully surprised that people didn’t ask more questions of Stiles, about where he had been and how he had managed to father triplets.  Stiles confessed to using a bit of magic on them.  Anyone who encountered them would feel no desire to ask invasive questions at all.  Stiles didn’t want to deal with the morbid curiosity and the silent judgement, and he didn’t want his father to either.  So the five of them had a very nice and uneventful family lunch. 

*** 

            Derek never got the chance to seek out Scott because the boy found him as if he had been searching for him.  “Derek!  I—you’re back!  I mean—shit I’m not doing it right—I—”

            Scott was on the verge of hyperventilating and Derek had to grab him by his arms, “Scott!  Calm down.  It’s okay,” he soothed.  He held onto the young man as he took a few moments to get his breathing under control and settled his heart.  And then Scott began pleading his case before Derek had a chance to stop him.

            “I’m sorry—I’m so sorry,” he practically sobbed.  “I get it now.  I _really_ get it,” he babbled.  “There is still so much more I’m learning from Peter, but I really get it.  I get what it means to be pack—well I understand what it’s supposed to mean, and I want it more than anything.

            “I _want_ to be pack and I will be so much better than last time,” Scott looked at him earnestly.  “I will be honest and loyal and I won’t fuck it up like I did before.  I really want this, and I am so sorry for everything I’ve done to you and the pack.  I know I don’t really deserve a second chance, but I’m asking for one anyway.  Please,” he begged.  “Please be my alpha.  Accept me into your pack, and I promise I won’t let you down.”

            Derek knew that Scott was being honest and sincere.  He thought that he would need time to ponder his decision, but it wasn’t the case at all.  “First of all, I’m sorry too.  I wasn’t in the best headspace when I became alpha, and I messed up a lot too.  So I’m sorry for not being an alpha that you felt you could trust.”  Scott opened his mouth to argue with him, but Derek shut him down.  “And if I accept you into my pack, I expect your unwavering loyalty.  But I don’t want you to follow me blindly.  Everyone makes mistakes, as we have all clearly seen.  I want you to ask questions and offer suggestions, but I also want you to trust that I will always put what’s best for the pack as a whole first and foremost. 

            “I have Stiles and my children to think about now, so even if it means hurting someone, I will do it to protect them, and the pack.  We stand together as a pack to protect each other and this territory.  No one pack member is more important than another—except for the cubs; they always come first.  We look out for one another; we never abandon a pack member, and if you can handle that, then I will gladly accept you into my pack.  But you _will_ submit to me as your alpha and you will start at the bottom of the pack hierarchy and work your way up. 

            “Think it over and be sure it’s what you want.  If you can’t agree to it, I will respect and accept it; you’ll be an omega, but you will be welcome to remain in Beacon Hills.  If you _can_ accept it, then you will be fully initiated into the pack at our full moon celebration tomorrow night.  Tonight we’re having dinner at the house.  You are invited to join us.  Dinner is a six.  Come early so you can have some time with Stiles.”

            Scott beamed at Derek with both gratitude at being welcomed into Derek’s new home, and excitement at the prospect of seeing his best friend after so long.  “I’ll be there—can I bring anything?”

            “Just yourself and your appetite.  You’ll meet the rest of the pack tonight, and tomorrow, if it’s your wish, you’ll join us as pack.” 

*** 

            Scott arrived at the house at four o’clock, anxious to see Stiles.  Derek wasn’t at all surprised to see the young man so early with his eyes alight and a bright crooked-jawed smile.  He shook his head in mock exasperation, “Stiles is finishing up some wards in the yard, come on through.”

            Derek took Scott through the house to the kitchen where the back door led to the yard.  Nodding to the door, Derek said, “He’s out there.”

            Stiles had just finished the last spell and was planning to get some quality playtime in with the cubs before he had to start helping with dinner, when all three of their heads shot up.  Their eyes flashed and suddenly three betas were on alert.  Stiles turned and was surprised to see Scott standing on the back deck looking hesitant.  “Scotty!”

            Stiles rushed forward and all trepidation left Scott as they met in a bone-crushing hug.  The wolf in Scott felt more settled than it had since he had first been bitten.  It dawned on him that this was how it was always meant to be.  Stiles and him, and pack.  “I missed you so much, bro,” he murmured.

            “Me too, dude,” Stiles whispered back.

            Isaac quickly joined the hug, “Isaac!” Scott exclaimed welcoming him into the embrace.  “I am so sorry, dude—I was such a dick to you!”

            “It’s okay, Scott, I forgave you back then.”

            “But I—oh my God, are those the babies?!” he exclaimed his attention jumping from his friends to gaze at the three children who were on a blanket in the grass watching the proceedings.

            Stiles moved to stand beside his kids with a huge grin, “These are my cubs, Emma, Liam and Elijah,” he said pointing to each child in turn.  “Just give them a minute to decide how they feel about you.”

            Scott smiled and waved at them, “Hey, I’m your Uncle Scott,” he said softly, trying to make himself as non-threatening as possible.

            Emma squirmed and tried climbing up Stiles’ leg until he reached down and picked her up.  She stared at Scott from her perch on her Dada’s hip.  For several long moments she watched him before murmuring in her cub-speak and hiding her face in Stiles’ neck.

            Isaac quirked an eyebrow at Stiles, “That’s new.”

            “What does that mean?” Scott asked nervously.  He wanted the children to like him—love him; they were family.  He also knew that if they didn’t, it would cause a problem with him joining the pack.

            Suddenly Emma popped her head back up, murmured something in Scott’s direction and then hid her face again.

            “I think she’s playing peak-a-boo,” Marco said.

            When she popped her face out again, Scott laughed and then covered his eyes with his hands before opening them and saying, “Peak-a-boo.”

            Emma squealed happily and continued hiding and showing her face while Scott did the same as he slowly moved closer and closer to her.  When he was finally within arm’s reach of her, he held his hands out to see if she would to come to him.  Emma stared at him, hesitant at first, but then she reached for him and allowed the newcomer to hold her.  She patted his face and spoke her baby gibberish and then squirmed to get down and return to her brothers.

            “I think she just gave you the seal of approval,” Marco said as he approached.  “Hi, I’m Marco Jones.  Stiles and Isaac have talked about you a lot.”

            “It’s nice to meet you Marco, and please don’t hold my past against me.  I was kind of a dick friend to both Isaac and Stiles.”

            “So we’ve heard, but there was a lot of good in with the bad.  No worries, we all get second chances.”

            Scott beamed at him, feeling more welcome with every minute that passed.

            Isaac wrapped his arm around Scott and steered him toward Carla.  “Scott, I want you to meet Carla,” he began and as soon as their hands met, “My wife.”

            Scott sputtered and looked between the two before pulling away, “Dude!  You got married?!”

            “Yeah, I asked Stiles not to say anything.”

            “Dude that’s awesome!  Congratulations!” he exclaimed and pulled Isaac into another hug, “I am so happy for you!”  Then Scott returned his attention to Carla, “It is so awesome to meet you.”

            “Likewise.  I almost didn’t believe Stiles when he described your personality as ‘ridiculously positive’, but he wasn’t exaggerating at all.  It’s refreshing,” she grinned at him.

            Scott paused and frowned at her, her grin reminding him of something.  It took him a few moments to work it out before, “Are you related to Derek?!”

            Carla laughed, “He’s my cousin—now my alpha.”

            “I didn’t know he had family—”

            “It’s a well-guarded secret dude, no one can know, not even Allison.”

            “But—”

            “It’s what kept Derek and Laura alive after the fire.  It’s what kept _that_ pack alive after the fire.  No one knew they had a connection other than possibly being allied packs.  I know Allison and Chris have changed, but it only takes one slip and—”

            “I promise.  Not a word, not even to Allison.”

            Stiles was taken aback by that.  Normally it would have taken hours to coerce that kind of promise from Scott, and even then he couldn’t be sure it would stick.  But this time… “I told you I’ve changed, dude.  I wasn’t ready for the responsibility—for the honor of being pack before.  I am now.”

            That was all the others needed to hear before pulling Scott to the ground and piling on him.  It turned into a free for all that the cubs joined into.

 

            When John and Melissa arrived, Scott was on the ground, half shifted with Elijah and Liam on his back and Emma running away from him squealing happily.  And then she saw John, changed course, and jumped into his arms shrieking with glee.  She stuck her face into his neck and immediately began scenting him.

            “There’s my best girl!” John said happily as he held his granddaughter.  “Sorry Mel, but you’ve been replaced as the number one girl in my life.”  John turned toward her to show off Emma.

            Melissa only smiled and offered, “I approve.”

            “Emma, darling, can you say hello to MomMom?” John coaxed.

            Emma looked at her skeptically before seeming to recognize her from their brief meeting at the hospital.  She then noticeably scented the air around Melissa and obviously smelled something she liked (PopPop’s scent) and immediately reached for the woman.  Melissa let out a surprised noise as the child was unceremoniously dumped into her arms.  Emma wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.  Then she tangled her fingers in Melissa’s dark curls and babbled at her with an awed look on her face.

            Stiles stood back with a huge smile on his face.  He didn’t think they would integrate everyone into the pack so seamlessly, but somehow, thanks in big part to the children, everyone was there and welcomed.  He watched as his father called Liam and Elijah over to greet Melissa and was once against surprised at how well they had taken to their grandfather.  Both boys rushed over to him, each vying for his attention before taking note of Melissa.  And as they had before, her brothers followed Emma’s lead and were very welcoming to their MomMom.

            It was when Melissa stated that she and John were stealing the kids away that Scott made his move.  He and Stiles hadn’t really gotten the chance to talk, and while Stiles wanted to sweep it under the rug, Scott couldn’t let the conversation go unspoken.

            They went for a walk, deeper into the yard, getting closer to the untamed part of the preserve.  Stiles was absently throwing out protection spells while Scott talked.  After losing everyone, Scott was still feeling a bit self-righteous and it had taken a lot for him to come to his senses.  He had blamed Derek for things that he had nothing to do with and no control over, including, but not limited to, Stiles being ‘kidnapped’.  His mother knocked some sense into him, as had watching John’s anguish and self-blame over Stiles leaving.  Even Allison had helped him to see all of the mistakes he had made leading up to Stiles and Derek leaving Beacon Hills.

            He had been a belligerent teenager and self-serving when it came to his dealings with Derek.  If he had listened to the older man—worked with him instead of against—things could have, would have turned out differently.  And he had been the worst sort of friend to Stiles.  Stiles, who been the smart one, the one to figure everything out.  He had only tried to help Scott and had put himself in danger to protect Scott over and over again.  He had taken his best friend for granted.  Scott had ignored Stiles and ditched him time and time again without ever thinking twice about how his behavior would affect his friend—his brother.  He had betrayed Stiles and for that there was no excuse. 

            Scott, with tears falling down his cheeks, begged for his brother’s forgiveness, while promising to never neglect or take him for granted again.  He vowed to be the best brother, uncle, beta and pack mate he could be.  And he swore to ask for help when he needed it rather than to go off on his own and make a mess of things as he had in the past.  Any of his past successes had been sheer dumb luck or thanks to Stiles’ intervention.  Scott knew he wasn’t stupid, but he was also aware that Stiles always was and would always be the brains between them.  And most importantly, Scott promised to always listen to Stiles, even if he didn’t like what he had to say.  Listening to Stiles might have stopped him from making some of the mistakes he had.

            Stiles, blubbering even more so than Scott, threw his arms around him and accepted his apology.  “Of course I forgive you, dumb ass!”   Stiles then apologized for being the reason that Scott had been bitten, but assured him that he didn’t risk his life for Scott because he felt guilty.  He did it because he loved Scott, and no matter what ever happened between them, he would always love Scott as a brother. 

            They stayed out there a while longer, crying, embracing and catching up before Scott heard Derek call them to dinner.

            Dinner was an utter chaotic mess, and Derek and Stiles loved every minute of it.  Emma whose latest quirk was to refuse to sit in her highchair and instead eat from her Papa’s plate, made a mess of herself and Derek.  Carla and Isaac, who were still in the honeymoon phase, did nothing but make goo-goo eyes at one another while feeding each other from their own plates.  Marco and Scott talked non-stop about Beacon Hills and what there was to see and do in town.  This made Stiles smile because he had been the most worried about Marco’s transition.  Peter laughed at and encouraged Emma making a mess on Derek’s lap.  John and Melissa shared their attention between Elijah and Liam and each other.  It was noisy and disorganized and messy and Derek couldn’t have wished for a better first dinner back home.

            The following evening, everyone was present for the moon celebration, including the Argents.  Stiles built a small bonfire, and had a bowl of herbs mixed with his and Derek’s blood ready for a small ceremony to reconnect with the land.  As Hales they had claim to the territory, but they also had a connection to the land.  It had been in the family for generations.

            First Scott pledged himself to Derek.  He promised his submission and loyalty to Derek as his alpha as well as to the pack.  He would live and die to protect the Hale pack.  Then Derek bit him.  Even though he was technically a Hale wolf since it was Peter who had bitten him, it was Derek’s bite that solidified the bond that had already begun to grow between Scott and the pack.  Scott felt as if he had been electrocuted when Derek sunk his teeth into his shoulder.  He had felt the stirrings of it, but now the pack bonds burst into his consciousness, almost knocking him over.  He could feel the affection and devotion pouring from every member of the pack and it overwhelmed him with a feeling of belonging and love.  In that moment he truly understood what he had been missing.  Scott now fully grasped what his betrayal had done to Derek and he felt ashamed.  The feeling was quickly washed away by his pack.  The past was in the past and this was a fresh, new start.  Derek howled, and the others followed, welcoming Scott to the pack.

            Derek also bit both John and Melissa.  He did not break the skin with them; it was merely a ceremonial bite, to welcome them into the pack as humans.  They would have a muted sense of the pack bond, but the wolves would feel them always and would know if they were in distress or danger.

            Then Stiles helped the Hale alpha reconnect with the land.  He chanted, calling forth the spirits of the land, the magic that flowed through the earth, and the bond that had existed between this land and the Hale pack for centuries.  They were reaffirming the bond, strengthening it with the next generation of the Hale pack and family.  He called for the land’s protection of the pack, and their den and promised protection to the land in return.  The Hale pack would defend the land from all dangers, human and supernatural.  Together they would have a symbiotic relationship, which would offer strength to both the land and the pack.

            Stiles poured the contents of the bowl into the fire and a shockwave shot out, vibrating through the land and the people present—even the Argents.  The spirits and land had answered.  The bond had been renewed and strengthened.  The Hale claim on the land was once again acknowledged and a blue glow engulfed the house and surrounding area, a promise of protection.  The eyes of all the wolves glowed brightly in the moonlight and once again they were moved to howl.  After that Derek quickly stripped and shifted; his betas followed suit.  After rubbing against Stiles and the cubs, Derek led the pack into the woods for a run.  He had never felt so alive running through his territory, even when his mother was the alpha.  He made a silent promise to reaffirm the pack’s connection with the land every year. 

*** 

            At the end of the month the Hale house and yard was transformed for the wedding of John and Melissa.  Once Stiles had returned home the couple saw no reason to wait.  And with Peter’s help they pulled together a small, but elegant party.  It was mostly pack, family, but a few people of import were present.  The mayor, a few department heads from the hospital, a few deputies and neighbors who had watched Stiles grow up, and John mourn the loss of his wife for years and years.

            Stiles and Scott stood witness as their parents finally made them brothers.  And because he didn’t want to be left behind, Scott announced that he had begun the process to change his name to ‘Stilinski’.  His father had made a very small, but shitty effort to be in his life over the last ten years, and even while his parents were still married, John Stilinski had been more of a father to Scott.  If his parents and brother were Stilinskis, it didn’t seem right for Scott not to be.  That got John crying for the second time that day.  The first being when he caught sight of Melissa walking down the aisle to become his wife.

            During the reception, with John and Melissa’s permission to steal some of their thunder, Derek proposed to Stiles.  It was true that they were bound for life as far as the supernatural world was concerned, but Derek did want them to be bound for life in the eyes of the law.  The idea of calling Stiles his spouse, his husband, sent a thrill through him, which was rivaled only by the way he felt when Stiles said, “Hell yes, I’ll marry you!”

            Derek, Stiles and Scott, (who insisted on contributing even if it wasn’t even a quarter of the cost) sent the newlyweds on a ten-day Hawaiian honeymoon.  They promised they could look after each other and the town without any trouble erupting.  And of course they were wrong.

            A pack came through the territory, disbelieving the stories of the Hale pack defeating the alpha pack.  They were very disappointed to learn just how true the stories were.  They left Beacon Hills with only a few injuries to their bodies and pride, tails tucked firmly between their legs and fully intent on telling everyone they encountered of just how strong the Hale pack and their emissary were.  Not to mention the fact that they had a family of hunters on their side.

            John and Melissa couldn’t even be upset that there had been trouble when they returned, although everyone was sure by the glow they both exuded it was because of the good time they had, more so than the fact that the pack could handle problems without them.

            The pack then spent the next few weeks packing up Melissa’s house and moving her in with John.  It was bittersweet for Stiles that they wouldn’t be moving into the house Derek had built on the property, but he supposed they had plenty of time to convince them.  Scott move into the Hale house rather than with his parents.  He wanted them to have privacy as newlyweds, and he wanted to be close to his alpha, as well as Stiles and the cubs.

_August…_

            Derek and Stiles were in the middle of preparations for their wedding.  They were also having their ceremony at the house.  It was going to be very small and simple with a small amount of fanfare to appease John, who wanted them to have the ritual of it.  Claudia would have wanted that for Stiles.  So there was a tent and too many flowers, centerpieces and tulle.

            Scott stood as best man to Stiles, while Peter took up the mantel for Derek.  They set up a video stream so that Uncle Ollie, Aunt Laura and the rest of the Jones pack could see the wedding since they couldn’t be there in person.  Laura had been present for their mating ceremony so missing the wedding wasn’t too sad a thing for her.

            The cubs acting as ring bearers and flower girl was a disaster.  They managed to walk down the aisle, but then ran all over the place afterward.  Isaac and Marco spent what was meant to be the beginning of the ceremony chasing the kids and getting them settled so that the minister could get started.  John and Melissa cried when they shared their first kiss as husbands, while Scott whooped with excitement, which provoked the rest of the pack and got the cubs running again.

            There was dancing and a ton of food as per Hale family tradition.  The cubs’ clothes had to be changed twice and Derek and Stiles were down to their slacks and tee shirts by the time the moon rose high into the sky.  Their wedding day was as beautiful as their mating day had been, and was only made better by the fact that John, Scott, and Peter were present this time.

            That evening, as he looked down at his sleeping children and gazed at the platinum band on his finger, Derek had a hard time believing that he was so lucky.  His life had been so terrible for so long, and now?  Now he had everything he could ever want.  And more importantly, Derek believed that he deserved to be as happy as he was.  Life couldn’t get better than this, could it? 

_Worries and fears hold no gravity here_

_It's the only place it all makes sense to me_

**End?**

**Author's Note:**

> Hoobastank's "Fight of Flight" album was my soundtrack for this entire series. Lyrics and titles are borrowed from it.


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